Assent To Love
by Mrs.Northman
Summary: Sookie and Eric come to an agreement finally, but how far would they go to defend their love and each other
1. Chapter 1

I just want to say that I do not own any of the characters from the Sookie Stackhouse series, they all belong to Charlaine Harris. As one of my favorite fanfiction authors says 'I am poor so please dont sue'.

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Chapter 1

Sookie woke up out of a peaceful nights sleep. She opened her eyes to stare at the bright ceiling of her room wondering how this could be possible. It had been a month since the Nevada vampires overran Louisiana, threatening all that she held dear. She didn't like it but she could deal. She could deal with never getting paid for her time in Rhodes. She could deal with the Nevada king orchestrating a hostile take over, which very nearly could have ended in her death and the deaths of those closest to her. She could even deal with her sleezoid brother setting her up to find his wife cheating with another man, though it resulted in her having to break the hand of her friend and sister in laws uncle. As horrible as these things were, they were not things that kept her up nights. They did not cause her irrational mood swings that now had what few friends she had walking on eggshells around her. They may have caused her stress but they surely didn't cause her lack of appetite which now cause her clothes to fit a little looser on her. There was only one thing that could effect her so profoundly; Eric. Or a lack there of.

Sookie has not heard from Eric since the night he and Pam came into Merlottes, where she worked as a waitress, to proclaim the formal protection of the new king. Eric had seemed so happy at that time. Even though he now remembered their time together she had seen a glimmer of hope that she would get her lover back but she'd squashed that hope before it could take root in her heart. But she did think that at the very least she would be able to get her friend back. The one who shared an easy familiarity and a kindred humor. Others may have looked at her like she was crazy but he seemed to truly get her. But over the last month she hadn't seen hide nor golden hair of Eric. Instead she had been plagued by feelings of anger and irritation and confusion. Sometimes there would be glowing affection weaved in with all of this but mostly it was all so jumbled she didn't know what to make of it. It had even gotten to the point that she had felt all these intense feeling grow stronger, even in the day time when surely Eric would be sleeping. Sookie perpetually started to feel anger at the emotional overload. It scared her, how much of this was Eric? How much of this was her? She was hurting that she was brushed aside so easily. That's when she had realized that she had been banking on Eric to keep his word. As much as she dreaded the 'coming to and understanding' talk, she was actually grudgingly looking forward to it because it represented closing a chapter and getting some much needed clarity in her life. This is something she desperately craved.

But something was different about this morning. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, so she lay there in bed thinking over everything in her life trying to come up with what the difference was. She'd had another horrible night at work, but when she was changing for bed she had felt a shift though she couldn't quite put a finger on it and she had been too tired to try to think on it. Now, as she commented to herself about how beautiful the day was shining outside, she realized the change and jerked herself up into the sitting position. This idle thought got her attention, she hadn't taken pleasure in anything at all in the last month and now shes impressed by the weather outside? Cautiously Sookie began to poke around her self, as if she expected a damn to break and she be overrun and drug under by a tidal wave of emotions. However, that didn't happen. Sookie felt calm and peace and contentment. She poked at the bond and she felt the same things coming from it even though she knew Eric would be sleep. She smiled and stretched, then hopped out the bed to take a quick shower and take care of some essential needs. It was when she came out the bathroom and began to get dressed that she noticed a note laying on the pillow next to hers. After pausing for a few moments to evaluate the seemingly innocent piece of paper, she sat down on the bed and picked up the note to read.

'My Lover' it began in Erics beautiful script. 'I know that our chat has been long overdue. We have some things that we do need to work out. I understand that you may not want to see me after my extended absence but its time that we come to our understanding...whatever that may be. I will see you tonight, right after dark.' It was signed 'E'.

Sookie didn't know what to make of this at first, so she read the note again. The again. Then again, until it sunk into her mind what it means...Eric's coming. For the first time since she woke up Sookie looked at the clock. It was already 4:30 she figured that it gave her about two hours before it gets dark outside, and then another thirty to forty five minutes for him to drive from Shreveport-that is if he drove like a bat out of hell like usual. Of course he would.

Despite her reservations Sookie felt excited at the pending arrival of her-I mean Eric. Should she feel excited? Shouldn't she be mad or hurt or something...ANYTHING other then excited about the man who abandoned her for the last month without a word-not even from his flunkies? Sookie probed herself again searching out different feelings. She found that she couldn't feel anything but excited in this moment so she went with it. She was just relieved to finally have one clear emotion instead of hundreds crashing around inside of her ripping her up and constantly changing before she could get a handle on them. So she took her excitement and put on her bathing suit to go outside to catch some rays. This was truly something she had missed in the last month but could not bring herself to do. Laying out in the sun felt like coming home to her. As she laid there in the sunshine, she let her mind drift over the last month trying to make sense of what had actually happened. She felt a pang of guilt as she saw her friends recoil from her when she lashed out, and then resigned themselves to not speaking to her unless they absolutely had to. She had a lot of bridges to mend. Speaking of, she just remembered the retreat that suddenly came up for Amelia and Octavia. They had left yesterday and another pang of guilt spread through Sookie because she knew that it was because of her.

Just as she started to wallow in how horrible her attitude and actions had been she felt her stomach jolt. She opened her eyes to realize that the sun was just about all the way down and Eric must me stirring. Being so old he often wakes early. Sookie replaced her lounge chair to the shed, then ran into her house. She was about to make a dash to her room to begin to get ready but her stomach gave a hopeful growl. Sookie stopped dead in her tracks and covered her stomach, it has been so long since she actually felt hungry. She made her a sandwich out of the left over meatloaf that Amelia had left in the fridge and quickly ate it chugging down a glass of milk.

As she tried on clothes she became rapidly aware of how bad her situation had been, she had lost weight. Her clothes didn't drape off her but she certainly needed a smaller size. Her eyes had deep circles around them. She settled on a pair of jeans that used to hug her but now the drooped a bit because there wasn't as much to hold on to anymore, and a fuzzy black shirt that hid a lot of the differences in her body. She wasn't sure if she would be going anywhere but knowing herself she might want to make a quick get away from Eric and it was better to be safe then sorry, so she pulled on a pair of black boots. As she finished her makeup a rush of calm and contentedness rushed over her, Eric was close. She got up and went int the living room just as a light knock came from the front door. She took a deep breath and opened the door, and there stood her viking.


	2. Chapter 2

I just want to say that I do not own any of the characters from the Sookie Stackhouse series, they all belong to Charlaine Harris. As one of my favorite fanfiction authors says 'I am poor so please don't sue' please enjoy.

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Chapter 2

Eric looked amazing. His long blond hair flowed down to his broad shoulders, rippling in the light wind. He was wearing a collard black dress shirt, with a leather jacket over a pair of blue jeans that had a massive belt buckle. Sookie smiled taking in his muscular stature that was clearly evident through his clothes. Eric's eyes grew wide as he took in Sookie's gaunt features. He could see how she tried to cover the dark circles under her eyes with makeup, and how her clothes hung off her. He was alarmed to see how, even though she was smiling up at him, she looked as if she had been chewed up and spit out. He winced at her dilapidated state; everything about her cried out unwell. Sookie saw the crease that had become etched in his forehead as he took her in. She gave herself a mental kick because she thought that she had covered up the worst. She was wrong. She reached up to his forehead and smoothed his skin, but she knew there was nothing she could do about the tormented look in his eyes. When his skin on his cool forehead was smooth again she moved her hand down to cup his cheek.

"No, no." she whispered. "Don't be sad. I am happy to see you. I have missed you so much." Instantly she knew that she had said the wrong thing because Eric looked as if someone had kicked him in the gut. "Eric please." she tried to soothe as she felt pain and torture swell up in the bond. She winced. She felt raw and these harsh emotions grated against her like a serrated knife. "Please don't be sad. Your are here, come in"

He forced a smile onto his face and tried to calm himself, he could see how each of his tortured emotions stabbed her like a knife. She was weak. She didn't have the fire that he loved so much about her, or the fight that kept him so enthralled. This Sookie was standing on the edge of a cliff, and he needed to pull her back before she went over. He allowed her to pull him by his hand over to her couch and sat. "Sookie," he began. She could feel that he was barely hanging onto himself as he spoke. "My lover, what has happened to you"  
She blushed. "Nothing, Eric. I've just been having a rough time lately, but I'm better now"

He cocked his eyebrow at her, knowing that she was holding something back from him. "A rough time?" he prompted.  
She took a deep breath, which was still so shallow to his ears. He gave her hand a small squeeze, treating her like she was a soap bubble. "Well, I have been feeling...everything. Rage, pain, hate, sorrow, torment, loathing, confusion, heart break, love, affection, irritation..." she took another deep shallow breath. "I couldn't get a handle on any of it. It all overtook me and I could fight it away no matter how I tried." She could feel Eric still beside her, so she rushed to continue before something else stabbed her through the bond. "I thought that I was going insane. You know I actually slapped Amelia one morning when she asked if I wanted a cup of coffee? I couldn't get a handle on anything because as soon as I would pick apart what I was feeling it would change and another emotion would crash over me." She stopped, she didn't want to go through the rest, that was enough for now. Though she couldn't feel it, she knew she was causing him pain. She tried to focus on the happiness she felt just by being around him.

"Your not finished." he stated in a strained voice. "I can tell there's more"

"Not much." she hedged, he just waited. "I've started to feel everything even stronger lately. It was like everything was concentrating within me. I couldn't eat. Sometimes I couldn't even bring myself to move other then to go to the bathroom. When Amelia and Olivia forced food down my throat, I couldn't keep it down. I've driven them out of the house, even though they're terrified of leaving me alone." Sookie chanced a quick glance at Eric's face to find bloody tears falling down his face, even though he hadn't made a sound. In that moment all she wanted to do was make him feel better.

"I had given in, but last night something changed. I couldn't put my finger on it because I was so tired, all I wanted to do was sleep. Then this morning when I woke up I felt it again. Something had changed. I felt light, and content, and...happy." She leaned into his side and he placed his arm around her,careful so that she couldn't feel any of its weight. "The I found your note and I was positively ecstatic!" she laughed and reached up to turn his face to her so that she could see into his eyes. "I sunbathed and danced all around the house waiting for you to arrive"

A smile twitched on the corners of his mouth for a second before it disappeared. "How come you didn't tell me? You should have called me, this is my fault." he huffed. "I tried." she said. "But every time I thought of you or someone said your name I lashed out in rage and broke something." she tried to smile, to make what she said funny but it was lost on Eric.

"Last night Sam decided that he was going to call you and I threw an empty beer mug clear across the bar at his head. I just barely missed." At that Eric did smile, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared. We sat there deep in a charged silence for a few minutes.

"This is my fault." Eric stated again. Sookie just looked at him. "I have been consumed this last month. I was dealing with the kings extended visit, walking on eggshells as he tried to assess weather or not it was a good idea to keep me or not, and how loyal I actually was to him. I'm sorry that I didn't call you then, but he was already so enamored with you and couldn't stop talking about you and your heroism." he huffed. "I just thought it best not to draw anymore attention to you then necessary. I was going to send Pam to you, but we were being followed, and I just couldn't risk it. I'm sorry." Eric took a deep breath to steady himself and Sookie stared. It was such a human thing to do, but then she laid her head back on his chest so that she wouldn't stare at him.

"I have been trying to figure out what to do about us. I tortured myself with all the reasons why we shouldn't be together. Just by being with me, it would put you in more danger, especially considering the shaky ground I am on with the king"

A pang of sorrow ripped across Sookie's chest, and she took a deep breath so that she wouldn't cry out from the hurt. Eric felt it too, and he rubbed his hand up and down her arm, trying to calm and reassure her.

"Sookie, I don't know what I would do if I lost you. You life is the most important thing in my universe. But I cant live without you. It has been horrible this last month not seeing your smile, or the way your eyes light up when you look into my eyes, or hearing my name roll off your lips. I don't think that I am strong enough to live any longer without you.  
Tears were streaming down Sookie's eyes. Did he love her? Is that where he was going? He doesn't want to put her in the danger that she would inevitably face just by being with him, and yet he didn't want to live without her. But what did she want? She had been so tied up in his emotions that she didn't think about hers. The truth is that she felt a lot of things for Eric: hate, lust, irritation, desire, but love? She started to search her heart.

"Sookie" he murmured, moving off the couch to kneel in front her her. "I had no idea that what I was feeling was bombarding you. I thought that I was blocking so that you would not have to feel what I felt as I tried to hash out what to do next. I will never forgive the pain that I have caused you, my sweet beautiful love. I love you Sookie. And I know that its probably impossible for a spectacular creature like you to love someone like me, but I find myself hoping that you do"

Oh Jesus Christ, Shepard of Judea! He loves me?! Sookie's head began to spin as she tossed that around in her head, and as if he could hear her thoughts, Eric sent a huge burst of love and contentment and joy and hope through the bond. She felt overwhelmed and more tears burst free from her eyes. He licked them away but he didn't say anything to her, he just let her work through everything in her own time. He opened the bond as much as he could, so that he could feel everything that whirled around in her. He was bombarded by her love, but there was also doubt, and hurt, and confusion. He tried to keep his face impassive as she thought through everything so that a huge smile would not break across his face. He could tell that with all the doubt and confusion and hurt that she was feeling, the absolute love and desire she felt for him greatly outweighed it. She just didn't trust herself to love him or to admit it. She even seemed to be feel shock at how great her love was for him. On the outside Eric's face was impassive, but his eyes were intense as he held her gaze and she searched his; but on the inside, Eric was doing his happy dance.

'I love him?' she thought. She couldn't believe it. 'I, Sookie Stackhouse, loves the viking vampire Eric Northman.' She rolled it around on her mental tongue seeing how it tasted, she found that she like it. By the way Eric's eyes danced she suspected that her secret was out. Her eyes welled up yet again but she roughly rubbed the tears away before Eric could lick them because this was not a time for her vision to be blurred. She steadied herself and she pushed the bond open as far as she could and let all her love and desire and lust flow through. She wasn't even surprised when she felt Eric was already doing the same. What she was surprised about was when the bond engulfed them both and their love and desire and lust and contentment, and just pure joy washed away all the doubt and the fear and the resistance that still clung to them both. It consumed all the indecision and the hurt and the pain that had tainted them both. Sookie was made whole again with Eric's strength. He set her ablaze and once again she was fiery and vibrant and full of life and zest. He found that he didn't need to pull her away from the edge anymore, the chasm that he had created was filled. It wasn't like it was repaired, it was like it had never been there to begin with. Sookie soothed and healed all the self inflicted tares that had made him unrecognizable. She sewed him back together and then rubbed her essence all over him and he was restored to his former glory. He sparkled inside of her, and her shear magnificence was almost blinding to him but neither on could find it in them to look away, or even the desire to want to do so.

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This is so addictive though that it shouldn't be very long until my next post. Thanks everyone for all the great feed back, please keep it coming. This is my first attempt at fanfiction and I would love to hear all comments, good or bad


	3. Chapter 3

I just want to say that I do not own any of the characters from the Sookie Stackhouse series, they all belong to Charlaine Harris. As one of my favorite fanfiction authors says 'I am poor so please don't sue' please enjoy. Also I know that this may be repeating, I do apologize but it took me a second to get a handle on how to work this website. I went back and corrected the problem, but I don't know how long it takes to update. So if you already read this chapter attached to chapter 2 please forgive me, and I will update soon.

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Chapter 3

Sookie pulled Eric close and he kissed her. Her mind exploded because every inch of her that he touched vibrated with sheer lust and every inch of her that he wasn't touching ached for his attention. Eric moved his hands restlessly over Sookie's body, memorizing ever part of it. He ripped off her clothes so that nothing came between them. Sookie fought with the buttons on his shirt, but he just ripped it off, who cares about a shirt right? When they were both nude he scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom. Physically she was still week from the lack of nutrition but she didn't care. She would have had sex where ever they happened to be. He gently laid her on the bed and he pulled away so that she could breathe but his lips never left his body. They moved from her cheek slowly down her neck, where he gave her a playful nip, to her breasts. She gasped and arched her back to him as he grazed her nipple with his teeth while the knead the other with his hand. His other hand ran down her side then hitched her leg around his waist. She bucked against him as she felt his rock hard length pressing against her begging to be let in. Eric was steady, he let out a deep growl before his mouth attacked her other breast. His tongue flicked around her nipple and he placed playfully nip all over her but never breaking her skin. Then his hand caress her side again before he glide his fingers right into her.

"Eric!" she gasped then began rocking her hips meeting the thrusts of his hand. "oh...my...Eric!" she stammered incoherently. "Watch me lover" he murmured pure sex. She happily obliged and gazed deeply into his eyes. Never letting his eyes drop, he placed burning kisses down her body. She moaned his name with every kiss. He smiled wickedly at her and then allowed his tongue to pay homage to her nub. She gasped loudly and ran her fingers through his hair pulling him closer. Then his tongue switched places with his fingers and plunged deeply inside her. She threw her head back and yelled his name.

"No watch me lover" he commanded and his fingers slipped back inside her working in tune with his thumb, which was now rubbing circles on her tender nub. He kissed the inside of her thigh and then bit down. Sookie couldn't take it anymore she was pushed over the edge, stars exploded in her eyes as she screamed out his name. Before she stopped shuddering he was on top of her kissing her as he thrust deeply into her. She called his name again before she started meeting his thrusts. He growled in her mouth, send another shudder ripping through her body. "Say it." he commanded. "I have to hear it"

'I love you I love you I love you I love you!' she thought over and over in her head. He pulled almost all the way out and thrust harder in her twice, making her cry out his name again in ecstasy. She arched her back even more granting him deeper entrance. "I...I...I..."she stuttered unable to put together a cohesive thought.

"Say it!" he growled, plunging deeper into her. He knew it was there, on the tip of her tongue and he would get it out of her. "Now!" he growled again, capturing her nipple in his teeth.

"I-I love you Eric!" Sookie yelled as she felt him sink his fangs into her sending her over the moon in pure ecstasy. As he sucked she felt him shudder inside her and he came too, thrusting roughly through their aftershocks before he fell onto her. He wasn't breathing but she knew that if he was, it would be just as rough as hers. After a minute she poke him in the side because she couldn't breathe and he pulled out of her, making them both shudder again, and laid down next to her. She wiggled her way up his side and laid her head on his chest. He kissed her on lightly on the top of her head and wrapped his arm tightly around her. "You love me." Eric stated when her breathing was back to normal. Sookie smiled, she could hear the smile on his face, and she could feel the joy and contentment coming through the bond.

"That was coercion" she teased, but she instantly regretted it because she felt the hurt coming through the bond.

"You don't love me?" he asked pulling her face up so that he could look in her eyes. "Of course I do. How could I not?" she soothed. "I just think that I need to be on my guard from now on because I don't think that there's anything you wont do to get what you want." She smiled playfully at him.

"You see?" he smiled back. "That's why I love you; you just know me so well." He brushed his lips lightly across hers and she shuddered again at the light touch.

"Um Eric? That was..." she seemed to be at a loss of words. "Well, what the hell was that"

"That was us becoming one." he answered running his hands through her golden locks. "As time goes on our bond will get stronger, but apparently its already stronger then I could have ever imagined. Look at how much I effected you even when we were not together, its only going to get more intense." he fell into a thought full silence.

She sighed contentedly, as she thought over his words. She had felt so much and it was so concentrated that she couldn't handle it. When she looked back on the previous month, or even the previous year, when she felt so many conflicted things about Eric. She found that there was not hurt there anymore. There was no sadness or regret or pain or even anger-which had become her most dominate feeling when it came to him. All she felt as she looked back was understanding and now contentment. That little part in her mind that buzzed Eric all the time in the background now had more sustenance. It was established and had weight, and she could feel every part of Eric. It pulsated like a beating heart in her mind. Right now what it told her was that he was happy, and awed that she found it in her heart to love him. Right on cue he gave her a gentle squeeze as if to make sure she hadn't disappeared. "Lover?" he asked, and she looked into his piercing blue eyes. "I think you should take some of my blood."

"Why?" she asked. This seemed to come out of the blue.

"Because your body is weak, and I thoughtlessly fed off you anyway. I'm sorry, that was wrong of me, but after so long of being without you I just couldn't help myself"

"My body is a little sore, but it's just fine. I just need to eat more"

"Yes," he agreed, "but please take my blood, it will heal you faster and you will feel more like yourself instead of worn and drained." (ha-ha)  
She debated in her head. She did feel a little weak and worn. She knew that she would not have felt like that normally because Eric takes so little blood, but the combination of her not taking care of her self and him feeding from her did make her feel...not herself.

"Okay." she agreed with a theatrical sigh. He snorted and moved to sit up. She started to follow him but gasped in pain. Before when they were shuddering in post coital bliss she didn't mind the tenderness, but now it was just pain. She tried to hide her discomfort but it was too late.

"It's okay my lover I will heal you." he crooned as he gently moved her between his legs so that her back rested on his chest. She took a deep breath and relaxed so that her head rested next to his cheek. He put his middle finder to his mouth and bit down drawing blood, then slid it into her before she could tense up. She still whimpered at his entry. "Shh my lover, I will take care of you." he promised as he moved his bloody finger inside her touching every sore place he could find.

Sure enough after a few moment all the discomfort was gone and she sighed with contentment again, but he didn't stop moving his finger he just added another one. "Eric" she moaned.

"Here" he whispered in her ear, placing is bloody wrist in front her. She never even notice that he had bit his other wrist until then. She took it without complaining and began to suck. Eric groaned with pleasure in response. He picked up the pace of his fingers that move inside her. She could feel his hard length swelling against her back again and deep inside her she felt a profound aching deep inside her. She searched for the reason because it wasn't a hurting ache, but it was an ache none the less. Eric scraped his fangs against the back of her neck. 'Eric' she thought the ache came from the presence in her head that was Eric. Then she realized what he wanted. Reluctantly she used her free hand to grab Eric wrist and tug on it, removing the fingers from her. She felt the loss instantly and he made to replace his fingers but she slapped his hand away and drew deeply on his wrist, he twitched and growled in return. Without releasing his wrist she got to her knees, placing one on each side of his legs, and she gently lower herself onto his pulsing length.

"Sookie!"he choked wrapping his free arm around her gently guiding her up and down on himself. Slowly they moved together in their pleasure. Sookie took one last deep draw from Eric's wrist, causing him to thrust her down on himself with more force. She licked the the wound clean then released his arm. He moved her purposefully, meeting her half way. They both started making incoherent sounds. Then he pushed her forward until she was on her hands and knees and he was on his knees behind her diving into her with more force.

"Yes Eric!" Sookie moaned loudly. "yesyesyesohgoderic!" she continued as she bucked against him. Stars began to burst in her eyes again and she cried out his name again. Eric shuddered as her orgasm sparked his own and they both fell in a heap on the bed. He pulled her close and kissed her.

"You are unbelievable Sookie." he murmured.

Sookie smiled at his pleasure. "Hey, it was your idea." she stated. Eric just looked at her questioningly. "I didn't say anything to you." he said "I know, but I felt you. You were aching to be inside of me, so I happily obliged"

"You felt that?"

"Yes."

He got quiet for a moment, Sookie could tell that he was just thinking some thing over, so she nuzzled herself closer to him and laid her head on his chest.

'Hmmm, this is very interesting. I wonder if she could feel what I want if she would be able to hear me too. We may have to experiment with this, it can be very helpful'

"What kind of experiment?" Sookie asked. Eric didn't answer, he just got very still and then she felt like she was in the middle of a crowded hall because there were so many words swirling around. Sookie jerked strait up in the bed. She wasn't prepared for it so she couldn't get a handle on the voices, and then just as quickly as they came, they left. Once again it was just her and Eric. She turned back to look at him, to find a huge grin on his face. 'Holy shit! I can hear Eric? Holy shit!' Sookie thought. Eric's smile got even bigger, he looked like the Cheshire cat.

'Yes' he thought 'And apparently I can hear you too'

"Oh my Lord Eric! I cant hear you, I cant hear vampires!" Sookie's voice started to creep up with terror. "That's the only thing that's kept me alive"

"Shh Sookie, come here." Eric said pulling her close. "I think that this is a side effect of our bond. The more blood we swap, the stronger the bond gets. The thing that's interesting to me is that the bond seems to be maturing faster then normal"

"Maybe it has something to do with how strongly we feel for each other." she offered.

"This is true, it makes sense. But I think that we need to keep this to ourselves. No one, not even Bill or Pam should know what we can do"

"Okay." 'Oh my God, I have put us in even more danger' she couldn't help but think. "No, Sookie. None of that." he gently rebuked her. "This is not your fault, and this is not my fault.

We haven't done anything wrong. I am just a very old vampire and you are an exceptionally gifted telepath with a Fae heritage. Anything we do together will be magnificent. There's no fault or blame because this can really help us and keep us alive so that we can live to love each other another day. That's why we cant tell anyone about this." Eric gently kissed her on the forehead. "We need to trust in each other and no one else. Though I don't think that they will betray us, the more people who know our secrets the more liabilities we will have to worry about"

She couldn't fault his logic. 'Okay' Sookie sighed. 'I guess you didn't live to be over a thousand years old being stupid'

Eric chuckled. "Thank you"

"Thank you Eric." Sookie said.

"For what"

"For loving me, and protecting me. I am not sure who I pleased to get you sent to me buy I am awful grateful. I love you"

Eric pulled her tighter to his side. "Trust me when I say that it is I who should be thanking you, Dearest Sookie. I have been on this earth for a thousand years. I have fought in wars. I have slept with many women. I have taken whatever it is that I wanted damn what it did to others. I have been selfish and I have been selfless. I have used others and others have used me. I turned hard and cold with time, its the only way I knew how to get through. I thought I was content as the days, months, years, and centuries passed me by. I never knew I was missing anything until I met you." He paused to kiss her face lightly again. "My entire being has changed since I have met you. That's why I have always been so persistent in making you mine; but it wasn't until we started exchanging blood that I began to see how much I needed you. You are my light, but the funny thing is I never knew I was in darkness. I am not sure who's idea it was to bless a black hearted creature like me with an angel like you, but I will never stop being thankful; and I will happily spend the rest of my existence worshiping at their feet. I love you more then you know"

Tears spilled out of Sookie's eyes and she stretched up to kiss him, to tell him there are no words that can fully describe what he means to her. He pulled her onto his chest and deepened the kiss and moaned contentedly into her mouth.

He understood.

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This is so addictive though that it shouldn't be very long until my next post. Thanks everyone for all the great feed back, please keep it coming. This is my first attempt at fanfiction and I would love to hear all comments, good or bad


	4. Chapter 4

I just want to say that I do not own any of the characters from the Sookie Stackhouse series, they all belong to Charlaine Harris. As one of my favorite fanfiction authors says 'I am poor so please don't sue'. I know that there are probably still a lot of mistakes but I am working on them as I try to find a beta reader; though I know each chapter is better then the last. Oh yes, I think I may have loaded the version without the corrections. Please forgive me, I am still trying to get a hang on loading things to this site. With that being said please enjoy.

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Chapter 4

Sookie sighed, this was the type of day that she loved. The sun was shining brightly overhead, and it was perfectly warm. Beautiful clouds filled the sky making abstract pictures; Sookie loved trying to figure out what they were. There was even a comfortable breeze that lightly blew the hair in her ponytail. She was laid out in her beach lounger, taking in the suns good rays. As she laid out, she noticed that her skin was still tingling from Eric's touch last night. Just thinking about it sent shivers down her spine. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, she wanted to enjoy the feeling.

"You look good enough to eat. May I join you Lover?" Eric asked very gently next to her. 'Ah, Eric's near' she smiled to herself. ERIC?!

Sookie's eyes flew open. "Holy shit Eric!" she shouted as she jumped up from her chair. "What the hell are you doing? Your going to burn!"

Eric smiled at her shocked display but he didn't make a move to leave or even cover himself. He just stood there looking dazzling in the sunlight. At least he didn't burst into flames like he should have.

"Calm down lover, your going to ruin my dream." He took her hand and gently pulled her back down on the lounger. He sat at her feet.

"Dream?" she asked. He nodded. "Who's dream?"

"I'm not sure; I want to think that its mine, but in all fairness it could be yours too. Does it really matter?"

As Sookie's heart slowly came back down from her throat, she took in Eric's appearance. He was wearing a pair of red swim trunks that matched the red in her bikini. His skin was just as golden as hers, he even had a slight flush in his cheeks. His skin positively shined in the sunlight. His hair cascaded freely down to his shoulders thick, wild, and untamed. It rippled slightly in the light wind.

Eric's eyes danced as he took her whole body in. He seemed to be trying to memorize her body in the sunlight, and she was doing the same.

Unable to stop herself, Sookie brushed her fingers across his forehead, then ran her fingers through his thick locks, before letting them come to rest cupping his cheek in her palm. Was warm, though the texture of his skin was the same. He placed his hand over hers and leaned his head into her touch. His chest rumbled a sound of contentment that made Sookie sigh.

"Your skin." she murmured.

"I know." he said.

"But does that mean..." she couldn't bring herself to finish her question. Instead she let her hand fall from his cheek, graze his neck, and then let it rest on his bare chest where his heart should be. She jolted when she felt the steady beat pound beneath her hand.

Sookie closed her eyes and let the solid rhythm was over her. It felt like home. It was strong and familiar and safe. Tears began to fall when she realized that this was the same rhythm that now plays in her mind; this is the rhythm of Eric. She realized that this was the most significant sound in her world.

He brushed his hand across her cheek. "No Sookie, there's no room for tears here. Only happiness."

She smiled and opened her eyes again. She almost had to squint because his sheer magnificence was overwhelming.

"Your right" she agreed, and she pulled him into a hug. She had to make sure that this was real. "This is our first day together, what do you want to do?"

Eric's smile almost blinded her. "We could go flying, or sailing, or we can swim in the ocean. Oh, we could even play in the snow!" He sounded positively gleeful at the prospect. Sookie couldn't help but giggle. She lived moments like this, where Eric's innocence seeped through, he seemed so child-like.

"Snow?" she said looking around. I don't see any snow, and I don't live on the beach." She reminded him, looking pointedly around at her house and yard.

"Sookie, this is a dream, I'm pretty sure that we could have whatever we want." He pulled her to her feet before she could respond with an excited "Come one!"

"Okay, okay. I think we should try the snow first." Sookie suggested. She knew how much he loved the snow and knew it would make him happy.

"Great!" he crowed, his eyes were positively sparkling with excitement.

"What do we do?" she asked. They were standing in her front yard facing each other holding hands.

"It'll be easy, just give me your other hand and close your eyes." She did as she was told. "Now, lets just think about what it is that we want. When we open our eyes we should see whatever we imagined."

Sookie squeezed his hands to show that she understood. Then with all her might she thought about keeping the sun out shining but being surrounded by snow.

"Open your eyes Lover," Eric said. "I think it worked." He smiled at her triumphantly.

Sure enough, they were surrounded by a winter wonderland. The sun was still blazing overhead, but the house and grounds and surrounding woods were blanketed with snow. It was about three feet on the ground. The snow was cool but not freezing cold like it should have been. It felt really good against her because it was still as warm as it was before the snow appeared.

'Now this is what I would call winter done right' Sookie thought. As she reached down to inspect the snow that was close to her waist, she froze.

"Eric?" she said calmly.

"Yes Lover?" he responded in a voice that sounded pure and innocent. She didn't trust it for a moment.

"Why are we naked?" she asked. She kept her voice level so that it sounded as if she was asking about something as insignificant as the time of day.

She could feel his amusement rolling off him as he fought to keep his voice steady. "How else do you play in the snow?" He asked in mock innocence, as if he'd never heard of dressing for the snow. As he spoke he trailed his fingers down her cheek, across her neck, over her breasts, down her stomach to her her thigh, and then grabbed her ass. Sookie shivered at his light touch, and then scowled at him.

She scooped up a handful of snow and threw it in Eric's face. Then she took off full speed into the trees. Her body easily cut through the snow like a hot knife on butter.

She'd expected him to throw snowballs after her but he didn't. Eric opted to give her a head start so tat he could hunt her down. Predator and prey, his favorite game.

"You know Lover, this means war." He taunted as he followed after her trail into the thick trees.

He heard her giggle, and when he turned his head he had to quickly duck behind a tree. Three snowballs zoomed through the air, and they were perfectly aimed at his head. He crouched low to the ground and began to move faster. He saw her duck behind a tree, so he made an arch so that he could sneak up behind her. Before he could get into position he sensed her moving somewhere behind him.

'Hmm, she's quite fast' he noted

'You better believe it' she answered his thought.

'Cheater.' he smiled.

'Hey, I don't have a thousand years of hunting experience. I have to use whatever I can'

He chuckled softly. 'You may have a point, but you will still loose.' he informed her.

'Nice ass Eric.'

He spun around just in time to see her jump back out of sight. He crouched back down and began stalking his prey again. He came to a small clearing where she had laid a trap. She had ran in many different directions so that he wouldn't know which way she had actually gone. 'Very clever dear one.' he complimented her. He moved into the clearing smelling her different trails, trying to figure out which was the newest one. He kept going, even after he registered that she was close by, out of sight, to his...right. He pretended as if he didn't noticed.

Sookie was crouched behind a tree watching Eric try to separate her trails. She mentally patted herself on the back for her cleverness as she moved to his right so that she could attack. She lunged for him but right before she could wrap her arms around him, he jumped up and flew into the thick cover of the tree tops. They were dense with leafs and snow (which fell on her as he passed through the branches out of site). She huffed and glared at the spot where Eric disappeared.

'Aw Lover' he patronized. 'Were you hunting me? That's so sweet'

As soon as Eric spoke Sookie launched herself through the trees. 'Your going to pay for that Northman' she threatened.

'I'm counting on it Lover.'

Sookie ducked down in a snow bank to gather herself. 'Shoot Sookie. Come on, you can do this' she told herself as she tried to block Eric out. 'You have to figure out a way to get him to come down from his cover.' She closed her eyes and opened her mind to get a feel for where Eric was while still trying to block her own position from him.

'That's cheating Lover.' he chided, but he didn't sound mad. He sounded amused.

'All is fair viking.' She could see in his head that he was flying right below the thicket of leafs and snow tracking her. He was close. She closed her eyes and thought hard.

'Don't hurt yourself Lover.' Eric teased.

'You said that this is a dream right?' she asked.

'Yes Lover.'

'Then all really is fair here.' she replied.

As she heard his mental laughter, she was struck by a crazy idea. She could see that he was closing in on her, if he kept on his present track, he would fly right over her. So she got to her knees and kept her eyes closed. Concentrating on what she wanted to happen, she raised her clenched fists in the air and brought them down harshly on the ground. She opened her eyes to see all the snow fly off the ground and into the air obstructing her view. The air was so thick that she couldn't see two feet in front of her. She smiled as she figured that Eric would have to land because he wouldn't be able to see either.

His laughter ripped through the air from all sides. She couldn't tell where he was, but at least he was enjoying himself.

'My my Lover, you're very inventive.' he complimented, his mental laughter still ringing out even though it no longer came through the air.

'Come out, come out where ever you are.' she sang back.

'Ladies first, my Lover'

'Well aren't you the viking gentleman. Why don't you come out and show me that beautiful face.' she crouched down at the base of a large tree.

'You know I would, but I'm rather enjoying my view.' His voice was smooth as silk and very dangerous. She knew that voice, her heart started to race. That voice meant victory was in his grasps.

Right on cue, Eric projected a mental picture of Sookie crouched at the base of a tree scanning the area. Her legs were tensed and ready to spring. Her finger tips were on the ground in front of her so that she could feel the vibration of his approach. She looked spectacular to him. He sent a burst of lust through their bond along with his mental picture because she never covered herself. 'She's a glorious creature' he thought to himself.

Sookie gasped, he could see her but she couldn't see him (damn vampire vision). She sprang from her position to get away but it was too late. Eric caught her just as she was about to land.

'Gotcha' He grinned and pulled her close.

'I never had a chance did I?' she asked, sliding her arms around his neck and pouting slightly.

Eric smiled. "About as much of a chance as my heart had when you first walked through the door at Fangtasia. None at all." he answered her out loud, his voice was as sweet as honey. "You lasted longer then I thought you would. I am very proud."

Sookie could feel the rush of love, pride, and lust come through their bond. She quickly closed the distance between their lips and kissed him with all the passion she possessed. Eric shifted her around so that she straddled his waist. He pushed her back up against a tree and pressed against her. She moaned into his mouth causing a shiver to ripple through him. She finally had to pull away so that she could breathe.

"Eric..." she moaned as he pulled her a little further up and took her left nipple into his mouth. She bucked against him when he grazed his teeth over her hard nipple. Sookie threw her head back and yelled in ecstasy. Her body was on fire, calling to his. She grind her hips against him making him growl in response.

Then the atmosphere changed. The snow disappeared and it was sunset. Sookie could see that they were no longer deep in the woods but just a few trees in. She could see her house clearly from where she was. There was someone-a redhead woman-pacing on the porch. Fear washed through Sookie and Eric stiffened in response. He slowly put her back on her feet and turned to see the source of Sookie's fear.

'What is it?' He thought at her.

'I don't know. This is different, this doesn't feel like the dream anymore.' she answered.

'But we are still here, so we can't be awake yet. Though I feel that the time is close for me.'

'Who is she?' Sookie asked as she pointed to the woman pacing at her front door. 'I can't tell from here.'

Eric growled severely. 'It's the whore that works with you. Arlene." He spat her name like an explicative.

Sookie whimpered. 'We've got to wake up.' She started to panic. Arlene was in deep with the Fellowship; any reason she would be here was a bad reason. Sookie stepped from behind Eric but he twirled her around so that they were facing the opposite direction; right in the face of the hugest bear Sookie has ever seen in her life.

She shrieked, and Eric jumped them fifteen feet away and crouched protectively in front of her. Eric tensed for battle, but the attack never came. The bear never even looked in their direction. His eyes were on the house and on Arlene who was still pacing on the porch. It was like they were invisible to him.

'I think I know what's going on Eric.' Sookie stammered. She dared not speak out loud in case she was wrong.

"Then please enlighten me." he said, not bothering to try and keep quiet. His voice was steel and he was still crouched in front of sookie. He couldn't have her in danger...not even in a dream.

"I think that maybe my mind is reaching." she spoke, taking the cue from him. I think that we are in this were's mind. We are seeing what he's seeing. That's why all the snow is gone, and why the sun is setting."

That certainly got Eric's attention, he straitened up from is crouch and looked at her thoughtfully. "You are right my Lover. We need to wake up, now." He closed his eyes for a moment. "I am waking now." he stated. Sure enough Eric's skin became translucent and then began to fade. " I will protect you Sookie." was the last thing he said before he completely disappeared.

Sookie looked back at the scene before her. Apparently Arlene got a call, it was short, and a moment later she ran to her car and gunned it like a bat out of hell.

A moment later the were-bear stepped into the clearing and laid down. Sookie instantly recognized the cloudy haze that surrounded him, and the glopping sound. She watched his transformation holding her breath. She was frozen in place by fear. He didn't turn his face her way so she couldn't see what he looked like. She just watched in horror as this massive and naked man walked onto her porch and up to the door.

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This is so addictive though that it shouldn't be very long until my next post. Thanks everyone for all the great feed back, please keep it coming. This is my first attempt at fanfiction and I would love to hear all comments, good or bad


	5. Chapter 5

Sorry for the delay everyone. I don't have a beta and I am trying to be careful of what I post. I want there to be as few mistakes as possible. Unfortunately there are still mistakes-I am sure-but hopefully they are at a minimum. Thanks to everyone who has shown support. I am really more of a reader then a writer but your reviews encourage me to keep this up. I am already working on the next chapter so hopefully it won't be very long until my next post. Once again, I do not own any the characters from any of the Charlaine Harris books, but I have created a few for the soul purpose of this ff story. Enjoy.

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Chapter 5

"Sookie! Sookie wake up!" Eric was shaking her frantically. Sookie's eyes flew open.

"The door!" She squeaked. "He's at the door"

With that Eric disappeared. Sookie jumped out of bed and quickly threw back on her jeans and shirt from the night before; but before she could even make it to her bedroom door she heard large growls erupt from the living room. She ran out to see the man from her dream swinging at Eric-who dodged it but landed a blow of his own. The stranger flew off the porch.

"Stay back!" Eric growled at her before launching himself at the stranger. As dire as the situation was, Sookie couldn't help but to be captivated by the beauty of Eric in battle. It really didn't help the fact that Eric didn't bother to dress in his haste to defend.

Eric landed with one knee on the ground where the were's head was just a moment before. The Were landed a kick to Eric's back, sending him flying a few feet. Before he could crash into the ground, Eric used his hands to push himself even further off the ground and flipped himself-landing in another crouch. Sookie had to concentrate to see what was happening. If she hadn't had Eric's blood the night before she wouldn't have been able to catch what little she did. Growls were erupting from both fighters, and echoed off the trees. Eric managed to grab the Were from behind. He deftly circled his arm around the were's neck and squeezed. The were bent forward to try to throw Eric off balance, but Eric just held on and squeezed his arm tighter. Then the were launched them both into the air with a giant leap strait up. As they came down he bucked in Eric's arms. It was enough to tip them backwards and Eric landed on his back, still with a firm grip around the were's neck. Then Sookie saw Eric disappear in a thick haze, and she heard a glopping sound. To Sookie's horror the massive bear reappeared. The bear got to his feet thrashing and bucking hard and he somehow managed to throw Eric off his back. The bear charged Eric and with a massive swipe, he tore through the flesh on Eric's chest. He roared harshly and then threw the bear back almost twenty feet. Sookie watched petrified as blood started covering his chest. She couldn't bear it anymore. Her vision hazed into red and she ran back into the house to grab the shotgun Jason had gave her. When she came back she notice that Eric had deep wounds on his abdomen and across his face now. The fight had sped up some and Sookie could see that his movements had become more smooth, and liquid. Eric was having a blast. The bears hair was thickly matted with blood, and he was limping on his back leg. It didn't stop him from launching attack after attack. His movements were becoming more jerky and forced. He was aggravated and was being ruled by his rage. Eric was taunting him. "Aw Yogi, is that all you have?" "You're about as lethal as Winnie the Pooh!" Of course, leave it to Eric to be Eric in a moment like this.

They were closer to the house now. Eric was laughing as the bear charged him again. Eric caught the Bear's paws before they could do any damage, but the Bear's momentum knocked him on his back.

"Is this all you've got bear?" Eric roared. "Tell me you're a better fighter then this! Tell me that you're not waisting my time!" 'Of course,' Sookie thought, 'let Eric be the one to be upset, not over being attacked, but over the attacker not putting up a better fight.' Sookie rolled her eyes and sighed. She looked back over just in time to see the bear clamp down on Eric's throat. This broke her from her idle thoughts and she sprinted over. She kicked the Bear's ribs with all her might. Sookie felt the Bear's ribs give weigh with a sickening crunch, and he roared in pain-releasing Eric's neck. Eric threw the bear to the side, then towered over Sookie. He pulled her to him roughly and kissed her. Sookie tried to hang on to her senses, but it had never been a battle she won when Eric was kissing her. She couldn't help but respond. Her red haze of anger faded and was immediately replaced by lust.

On the fringe of her mind she could hear the bear ready himself for one last charge while they were distracted. Sookie pushed Eric away and readied the rifle she was glad she hadn't thrown to the side with Eric's sudden passion. She fired off one round. At the last moment the bear managed to turn, but with his bum leg and his broken ribs, he wasn't able to completely avoid the bullet all together. With her heightened senses she was able to hear the bullet tear through the bears flesh and drill through a bone in his hip. With that , all the fight left the bear. He collapsed on his side panting harshly. "God you're sexy with that rifle!" Eric said pulling Sookie into another passionate kiss. Once again, all reason left Sookie and she let herself enjoy Eric for a moment returning his kisses. She propped the gun against their bodies so that she could run her hands over his body to search for any wounds she hadn't seen so far. He shivered under her warm touched and deepened his kisses. He reached down and grabbed her bottom and lifted her up. She automatically wrapped her legs around him pulling their bodies closer. She moaned into his mouth when she felt his gracious plenty pressing prominently against her.

"Eric." she said when she finally had to pull away so she could breathe. "We can't do this here." She felt his hands slip under her shirt. She really did mean what she said but her body was fighting her mind again. Her body grounded against Eric, making him growl in her ear and reclaim her mouth. She bit his lip hard and his blood filled their mouths. Her mind was almost lost in the sweetness of his blood and the lust and urgency and need that he was bombarding her body with. She tried to pull away again to speak but he wasn't having it.

'Eric!' she thought in a scream. Eric stilled, but still didn't release her. 'We have to question him, and it would probably make it harder if he's dead'

Eric growled in frustration but he was resigned. He set her back on her feet, making sure that she was steady before he walked over to the injured bear. "You ruin everything." he said as if he were a ten year old that was denied opening his birthday present. Sookie giggled...until Eric kicked the bear, launching him across the ground. He was several feet away within the blink of an eye.

"Eric!" she admonished. He rolled his eyes at her. "Yeah, yeah we need him alive. I know." Then he started to stroll over to the bear again. Sookie grabbed his hand and walked with him, hoping he wouldn't just kill the bear out of spite. She didn't have to worry, Eric was in complete control of himself. He towed her over to the lame creature and his bare foot on the Bear's throat. "Change. Now!" Eric commanded. Sookie reached out with her mind towards the bear to see hat she could hear.

'Don't cry out. Don't cry out' he ordered himself. 'Don't give them the satisfaction. Just try to keep your form. Don't change.' He continued to chant those same things over and over in his head, trying to keep his concentration. However, Sookie could tell that he was loosing that battle. He had lost too much blood, he didn't have enough strength to hold onto his animal form. After a few moments of futile concentration, the Bear's body overruled his mind. He began to shimmer and haze. Eric removed his foot and looked down at the were in disgust.

Sookie looked down at the naked man before her. He had thick brown hair that was matted with dirt, sweat, and blood. He had black eyes that were dark as pitch. There was nothing that was distinguished between his iris's and his pupils. He was quite handsome, at least he would be if he didn't have deep gashes on his face...or the broken nose. She noticed that along with cuts and bruises, he had chunks of flesh missing from all over his massive body. She noticed that there was a huge chunk missing close to his esophagus; Eric quite literally tried to rip his throat out. She couldn't repress her shudder. As she took in all the were-bear's wounds and thought how massive he was. She even noticed that he was very proportional, though still not as...gifted as Eric. She tried to stifle a giggle as these obscene thoughts were floating through her head. Come on how many women wouldn't love being surrounded by good looking naked men who were very well endowed? She looked up at Eric to see that he was already looking down at her with amusement and rolled his eyes. She remembered he could 'hear' her and she blushed furiously, ducking her head between his arm and body. Though try as she might she couldn't suppress the laughter that burst forward from her lips. Eric looked at her again trying to keep his face strait and smacked his lips. He ran the back of his hand over her red cheeks as she tried to get a hold on herself. He decided he would let her enjoy her slap happy state.

"Eric we need to get him inside." Sookie managed between her fits of giggles. He smiled at her and then grabbed the were's lesser injured arm and begun dragging his nude body towards the house. Sookie ran and grabbed the rifle that had fallen to the ground in their impromptu make-out session, then she came back to his side. 'Sookie go grab your shower curtain and put it on the floor in your living room. Then place one of your kitchen chairs on top of it.' he told her.

'Why?' she asked, confused.

'Because if we question him in your home and I don't want to get blood everywhere'

She didn't respond she just ran ahead and did as Eric told her. She'd just managed to put the chair in place when she noticed that Eric lifted the were-bear so that he wouldn't drag blood across her porch and floor. Eric dumped him in the chair and it creaked under the weight of the massive man.

Eric let his captive sit for a second while he paced around the chair, trying to decide where to start. 'Sookie?' he thought.

'On it.' She replied not needing him to spell out what he wants. She stepped back into the doorway between the kitchen and living room and kept a firm grip on the rifle-just in case. She opened her mind again. First to cast a net out to see if there as anyone else in the immediate area, she couldn't. Then to hear what their captive was thinking. He was a complete mess. He was enraged that he had lost a battle. He, the great bear, who has never lost a fight. It's not only that he lost a fight, but he'd lost a fight to a filthy, stinking, parasitic bag of walking death. If that was not bad enough, the life drainer didn't kill him in battle. He was going to be robbed of an honorable death.

From there his thoughts got more erratic. The loss of blood and the pain of his injuries made everything jumble. On the outside his face was calm but on the inside everything was turning into an unrecognizable mush. Sookie let the jumbled mess leak into Eric head to let him know he needed to hurry.

"Look were, I'd rather not torture you in front of my lover; so why don't you just tell me why you attacked me, and who sent you.

He shot Eric a baleful glare and growled viciously. In a movement that was so fast that it was just a blur, Eric jabbed his finger deeply into a wound on the were's side where he'd taken a chunk out. He howled loudly trying to get up but his hip wouldn't support his weight and he flopped down on the chair.

"I said that 'I'd rather not torture you in front of my lover' not that I wouldn't." Eric's voice was completely pleasant as if he was greeting and old friend; which made it more dangerous to Sookie, but she tried not to let it show. "Let's try this again." Eric continued pleasantly. "Why are you here"

Again the were didn't answer, he was resolving. 'Okay, forget everything else.' he told himself. 'you've already prepared your worse case scenario, stick to it.' Then he noticed Sookie's intent stare. 'Aw shit. The bitch is listening to me'

Eric punched him in the mouth. It wasn't enough to break his jaw but his head snapped to the side with such force that Sookie wondered how his neck didn't break.  
"Tell me." Eric's voice grew cold. He was trying to restrain himself, or else he'd have to send Sookie away and he'd be at a disadvantage. Sookie sent him reassurance to help settle him. she also sent him a subtle rebuke, because if he thought she was going anywhere he was sadly mistaken. The were chuckled defiantly at Eric and said "Kill the blond and bring the bitch. I didn't know which was which so I took a guess when you opened the door...I'm still not sure if I got it right or not." To Sookie's further amazement-and horror-the were smiled up at Eric serenely.

Eric laughed too, a fake and harsh laugh; then he brought his elbow down on their captives shoulders. With a dull pop his arm dislocated from the socket. To his credit he didn't scream-much.

Sookie saw Eric roll his eyes at her random thought, but she concentrated on studying the Bear's mind. 'Blank, blank, blank, blank, blank." he was thinking to himself. His mind had calmed and he was trying to focus his thoughts.

He'd practiced.

This made Sookie nervous. She focused every part of her mind into the were's. "Who sent you?" Eric asked. 'King Felipe DeCastro.' The were automatically thought. 'What kind of man is named Felipe anyway? Damn Felipe. Stupid bloodsucker!' All of his thoughts were directed obsessively to Felipe DeCastro. Sookie was alarmed now. She needed to talk to Eric but didn't want to interrupt. She needed to focus on filtering the were's thoughts to Eric. She let the were's thoughts filter from her to him. He growled savagely.

"Say it!" Eric roared, but the were just looked at him defiantly. "Damn it!" Eric yelled as he picked the were completely up by the neck and squeezed. "I said say it. NOW"

"Fe-Felipe." he gurgled and Eric dropped him back into the chair. He grabbed his neck with his good hand and sneered "Your precious king"

With that, Eric couldn't contain himself anymore. Sookie watched as his arm swung around twisting his body, and it seemed like it took hours for his arm and fist to snapped back to the were's face. Sookie heard his jaw shatter and she even heard his dislodged teeth clink in his mouth. His body was lifted from the chair, then sailed towards the closed door. In the next second it exploded through the antique door. He didn't even touch the porch, as he landed at the base of the steps. Eric's body rippled with tension. Sookie stood in shock as she processed what she saw. Even though she was in Eric's mind, he had taken her completely by surprise. She was a deer in Eric's headlights. She had never seen anything more magnificent or wondrous or dangerous as Eric in that moment.

Sookie's mind and body separated. Her mind saw the blood lust and the anger and the frustration that rolled off every part of his glorious body. Yet her body refused to recognize her bonded as a threat. It wanted to claim this horrible and amazing creature as her own. Either way, she was stuck because her mind refused to obey her body and her body fought her mind tooth and nail for dominance. Feeling her turmoil Eric took a step towards Sookie, reaching out for her. In that moment her mind won the battle and she took an involuntary step backwards into the kitchen. Eric hesitated for a moment as her fear bombarded him.

"Sookie?" He said confused. Feeling not just her fear, but her fear of him was like a slap to Eric's face. His body reacted to her fear and need automatically. Everything else was pushed aside and his body relaxed-because that's what she needed. He took another tentative step towards her, this time she didn't move but she held her hand up to stop him. She gave herself a physical and mental shake. She could see how his own countenance had changed. Through their bond he was projecting calm, assurance, strength, and love to her. She gave a weak smile and he crossed the room in a blur yanking her rifle out of her hands and covered her face with kisses.

"I am so sorry." He kept repeating to her between kisses.

"It's okay Eric." she tried to reassure him but he wouldn't listen. Even though her body screamed at her, she finally had to push him away so that she could speak. "Really Eric, it's okay. I'm okay. I was just concentrating so hard on what I was doing that you caught me off guard." He opened his mouth to speak but she just placed a hand over his lips and continued. "Besides, there are more important things we need to talk about. "True-" he started but she interrupted again.

"Me first. He said that it was Felipe who sent him but his mind was all wrong. I've never seen anything like it." Eric cocked his head to the side and looked at her confused. "To explain I need to give you a sort of lesson as to what I can hear. Telepathy 101" She smiled, hoping to get him to smile too. It didn't work.

"Okay. When you think about someone, you don't just have the one thought about that person. You have a main thought, but on top of that you also have random thoughts pertaining to that person flying around your head too-weather you know it or not. Sometimes these random thoughts lead you down a different path from your original thought. That's how a person can start thinking about a person, say Felipe DeCastro, and end up thinking about the ocean." She paused to make sure she was making sense and Eric nodded and made a motion for her to keep going. "Usually people cannot help what randomly flies through their mind because they are usually not conscious of it. This is how I get extra information from people: names, addresses, spouses, children, partners, etc. But Eric, I don't even know his name"

"He eluded you?" Eric asked, his face shocked. "How is that possible"

"That's what I was thinking about. He knew about me. From the tone of his thoughts it seemed like someone had taught him how to think around me. He focused on every word and he kept reciting different sentences in his head. Of course he couldn't stop all his random thoughts, but he was able to direct them into harmless avenues. Even when he was fighting you, he was doing this. He pretty much fought you on instinct, until you had him pinned. Then he focused on getting free because he had to kill you or he would be killed. Before he could think who would kill him he did it all over again.

"So when he said Felipe's name, he was thinking only about Felipe so you couldn't contradict it?" Sookie nodded. "So, we don't know if it's truly Felipe or someone else, or both."

"Right." she confirmed. He growled in frustration but Sookie pressed on. "Uh Eric, is he dead?"

He cocked his head to the side and listened. "No, he has shallow breathing and an irregular heartbeat; but he will die if he doesn't get medical attention."

Still looking out the door Sookie growned as she took in the damage. Eric darted in the room and back out a minute later. When he did he had donned a pair of pajama pants that he'd brought with him-just in case-and he was closing his cell. He went back over to Sookie and pulled her so that her back rested on his chest. He could feel her horror through the bond. "Sookie, Bill and Pam are on their way. Bill will tend to the bear so that we can question him again. Don't worry lover, we will get everything from him." Eric tried to rub her arms soothingly but Sookie just pulled away and stepped away from him towards the place formerly known as her front door.

"Eric, I know that you lost control when you hit him and killed my door; but did you really have to murder my door frame too? It's going to cost a fortune to fix." Sookie complained.

Eric blinked, and regarded the back of her head for a moment before being filled with relief and then laughter. He scooped her up in a bone crushing bear hug, filling the house with his hearty laughter. It was good that she'd had some of his blood or me may have crushed a bone or two of hers in his rash joy.

"Oh Sookie!" He kissed her cheek. "Don't worry about it. I will pay to have it fixed." he assured her with a big smile.

"You better believe it buster." she quipped, making him laugh again.

After a while he quieted and he got serious. "I am sorry I scared you. You should never fear me, I could never hurt you. You are like the air in my lungs lover." His gaze was unwavering and piercing, and Sookie's heart swelled in her chest.

"But you don't need to breathe." She pointed out, trying to keep herself from crying...again.

"Correction, before I met you I didn't need to breathe. Now I would suffocate without you, as you would without air." He held her closer. "You're my lifeline and I need you to survive."

She caressed his cheek. "I think I know what you mean." she smiled.

Then Eric kissed Sookie with all that he was worth. After a thousand years of practice, she wasn't surprised to find that it was beyond what she could ever hope to count-even if she had ten lifetimes. Sookie was strong and stubborn; and she knew she would love to spend the rest of eternity trying. He was content to let her.


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry for the delay everyone, I have had to write multiple parts of this chapter. My computer crashed right as I was finishing it up but before I could save my work. Its a good thing that I have my story saved in multiple places, but it still took a while for me to rewrite what was lost. Also, I still don't have a beta (I am working on it, I have contacted several people) and I am trying to be careful of what I post. I want there to be as few mistakes as possible. Unfortunately there are still mistakes-I am sure-but hopefully they are at a minimum.

Once again, I do not own any the characters from any of the Charlaine Harris books, but I have created a few for the soul purpose of this ff story. Enjoy.

Also, I know that it may seem that I am throwing a lot at you very fast. Trust me when I say that I am aware of it, but there's a very good explanation, I just can't tell it right now. I am going to be throwing quite a bit in these next couple chapters but trust me, it's going some place important. Thanks to everyone who has shown support. I also want to encourage reviews to be posted, they are the reason that I have continued writing this story. Thanks to all those who have expressed interest in the story so far, y'all are truly fabulous.

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Chapter 6

Eric's cool hands were everywhere. He pulled Sookie off the ground and closer into his body. She happily wrapped her legs around his waist. Eric slipped his hands under her shirt and sighed happily when he discovered she didn't put her bra back on. He ran his hands up and down her spine, sending a shiver rocketing through her body.

"Eric" she moaned when she pulled away so that she could breathe, his lips never left her skin. He pushed her against the wall close to where the door frame used to be. She ground her hips against him and he growled in her ear then nipped the skin right below her ear, causing her to cry out. In one swift motion her shirt disappeared over his shoulder. She felt a pang because she really did like that one and even though it was a little loose on her now she had hoped that she would be able to fit it perfectly again.

She couldn't spare the discarded shirt another moment because Eric was taking her left nipple into his mouth. Sookie bucked against him and Eric scraped his fangs across her breast, but didn't break the skin. She ran her fingers through his hair, and pulled him closer, as his tongue danced across from her left breast to her right. Sookie couldn't contain herself anymore and she began letting out simultaneous moans and chants of his name. She let her legs drag down the side of his hips towards the floor, taking his pajama pants with her. When she was standing again she reached between their bodies and began to stroke him slowly.

Eric pulled his head back from her breasts to look into her eyes and he growled with pleasure, closing his eyes for just a moment so that he could enjoy her touch. When he did that it shot heat through Sookie's body hitting all the right spots before settling between her legs. Sookie continued her slow strokes with one hand and wrapped the other in his hair again, pulling his mouth back to hers. His kisses were more urgent now. He had to consume her, every part of her. His tongue danced purposefully with hers, making her body tremble. He matched the movement of his thumb on her nipple to the dance his tongue was doing in her mouth. His other hand drifted down from her back to her side, slowly making its way to her waist. He hooked his fingers inside the too loose fabric at her waist and was about to pull when they heard:

"Ah hum. Should I come back?" The voice was ice over ice. Sookie jumped towards Eric, knocking him back a step, and screamed in surprise. Eric hid her behind his body and growled harshly at Bill. Who dropped to one knee bowing his head.

"What the hell Bill!" Sookie yelled at the same time Eric roared. "I should kill you where you stand!" Sookie could feel the rage and hatred pour out of Eric and fill her up. Before she knew what she was doing, she stepped around Eric and raised her hand to strike Bill; but before she could even bring her arm down an inch Eric caught her by the wrist and wrapped her in his arms restraining her.

Bill looked up at her shocked. "Sookie?" He was searching her eyes as if making sure that she was still in there somewhere.

With the one word of her name she came to herself again. Her eyes swelled in horror at her actions. She also remembered that she was standing there topless in front of two men and Eric's pants were still at his ankles. She jerked away from Eric, who let her go, and covered herself. Both men were looking at her like she had just sprouted antlers or something.

They stayed frozen like that when Pam showed up, hopping over the forgotten were-bear, and took in the scene. Pam looked like a cat that had just swallowed a canary as she took in the scene before her. Eric, standing naked, Bill on his knee, both looking at a deliciously topless Sookie. Sookie looked at Pam, who said "knock knock" to unnecessarily announce her presence. Sookie noticed Pam's slight wince as she took in Sookie's suffering frame.

"Uh, I have to go put on a shirt; and Eric has to pull up his pants." Sookie announced shakily and turned on her heels and retreated to her bedroom. Before she closed the door, she heard Pam ask the guys "What was that about? Eric, what's happened?"

Sookie quickly closed the door and flopped on her bed. Eric was sending her calm and love. He was also projecting his mind so that she could hear as he told the others what had happened. Sookie only halfway listened. She was too preoccupied with wondering why she raised her hand to Bill. Sure she was horrified that he had walked in on a very intimate situation, but she wasn't mad. Embarrassed? Yes. Horrified? Of course. Guilty? Immensely so, even if there was no logical reason for it. Was she mad? No. So why would she do what she did, she wasn't mad.

'I was.' Eric chimed in. They were now talking possibilities and plans. Bill had went back to his house for some medical supplies and was trying to patch up the bear as he gave his thoughts and opinions about what to do.

'I know. I felt your rage.'

'True,' he said, 'but I think we need to think about to what extent you felt it.'

'It was so much, it just crashed over me. It was like the time I told you about when I hit Amelia when all she said was 'good morning'. I saw what I was doing but at the same time I couldn't stop myself. Is Bill mad at me?' she worried.

'No, he's not mad. Confused? Yes, but not mad. But even if he were mad he already knows that no one cares anyway.' he mentally rolled his eyes.

'Eric! He's my friend, and in this particular instance I do care if he's mad. I should apologize to him.'

'Careful Sookie don't make me cry in front of my subordinates' he sent with mental laughter.

'SHUT-' Sookie stopped dead in her tracks at the idea that Eric's strong feelings were the cause of her physical outburst. 'Do you think that's what it was?' She didn't know what she thought about that. Eric had a tendency to jump from hot to cold quicker then anyone she knew; and when he was mad it wasn't calm madness, it was fiery _lets burn down the building _madness. This would explain her outbursts during their separation. True enough, she had a temper; but no ones temper held a candle to Eric's.

Eric knew that she already believed his statement. She was just waiting for the obligatory "yes" from him to confirm what she now felt was true. So he gave it to her, then his tone turned from teasing to serious. 'Sookie we are going to have to work on your responses to my feelings. We can't have you lashing out every time I am enraged. We are going to have to be more practical in our free time together.'

Sookie gave a mental sigh and rolled her eyes. 'Yes because we have tons of it as it is.'

'Sookie, I am serious. Not that I am complaining-trust me I'm not-but we need to learn how to fight together, and control our bond on both ends, and try to move as one. If we are going to be free to love each other another day, we are going to have to lay the ground work so that we are not easy targets.'

'I know that you're right Eric, but that doesn't meant that I have to like that we were forced into this bond. Now we are forced to develop it not in love but necessity.' She could feel the ripple of pain from Eric and she wanted to kick herself. 'Eric, I am grateful that you were there time after time to save me, but you have to admit that this was forced-even if it wasn't us who forced it.' Another pain rippled through again and she huffed. 'Eric, let me try to explain what I am saying.'

'No, I get it. I don't think my heart can take your explanation.'

'I have to say it though, I think about it a lot and we need to get it out the way.' she paused and gathered her thoughts. 'Eric we chose this bond. You chose to offer yourself to save me. I chose to take your blood instead of Andre's. Those choices in that moment were not made in love.'

'Mine was.' he injected.

'But mine wasn't. If I made that choice out of my love for you then it should be a beautiful memory, instead of one of horror. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade what we have now for anything. I love you. I am just tired of everything to be made out of necessity instead of love. Exploring our bond and learning to move as one entity as we make it stronger should be a loving experience, not one where the alternative means death.'

'Sookie we can't change the past.'

'No, but maybe we can rewrite it.' She let him ponder that for a while.

'I like the way you think lover, but are you sure? The last time you had my blood, you began hearing my thoughts. If we do this it will intensify everything even more.' he warned, but he couldn't help but add. 'Though I do wonder what other gifts this would bring out in you.'

'I'm sure Eric. If we are going to work on the bond, I am going to need a better memory of how it came about. I am going to need one of love on both sides so no matter what anything we do after this will have its start in a action of love.'

'Okay Sookie. Tonight we need to come up with a strategy but we can join tomorrow when I wake up. I want it to be my first act of the night. I love you.'

'I love you too. I can't believe that I am about to say this, but, having you in my head isn't nearly as horrible as I thought it would be. I think I might like it.' Sookie went over to her dresser to pull out a t-shirt and she was bombarded by Eric's mental laughter. It was soon overpowered by his physical laughter when she stepped back into the living room. She ignored him and walked straight over to the chair where Bill was sitting and knelt down by his side.

"I'm so sorry that I tried to attack you. I feel so guilty, I should have better restraint. If Eric hadn't stopped me I would be truly miserable. You are my friend and I never want to hurt you. Can you forgive me Bill?" She pleaded with her eyes as she waited for his answer.

He regarded her for a moment, then brushed his index finder down her cheek. His gaze bore down into hers. She heard Eric growl behind her because Bill was touching her, but she didn't care. She wanted to know that she hadn't damaged their already rocky relationship. Bill's eyes flickered up to Eric as if he had called his name. He moved his hand away from her face and offered her a bleak smile. "Of course I forgive you Sookie. It's already forgotten." He looked as if he wanted to say something more but she could tell that he didn't dare, not with Pam and Eric sitting right there.

She smiled with relief and stood. She couldn't help but to touch Bill's cheek before she turned. He looked worse for the wear. If time away from Eric made her look bad, Bill's time away from her had him looking ragged. She had never seen him look so bad. Instead of moving back, she cupped his gaunt cheek. He has never seemed so beaten down as he did now. The pain that radiated off of him was palpable, and it hurt her. All she wanted to do in that moment was take away his pain. Bill leaned into her hand when she let it linger. She could tell that he was finding comfort in her touch.

They would never be lovers again, but she did count him as one of her closest friends. It hurt her to see him in constant pain because he couldn't get over what they once shared. Bill has always been so serious, even when they were together. Now he was so constantly sullen. She knew it would be too much to ask for him to be happy-go-lucky, because that has never been in his character as long as she's known him. She would be content for him just not to be miserable.

Eric's rage through the bond drummed against Sookie as she continued to cup Bill's face and stroke his cheek with her thumb. Her whole body tensed, her hand had turned into a fist and she jerked away from Bill. She closed her eyes as she tried to will herself not to disappear in the river of rage that was coursing through her. She _will _control herself. She was scared at what she might do if she gave into it. She took another step away from Bill-just in case-and she turned to face Eric. He was standing now with his arms crossed, fangs out, staring a hole in her. When she looked into his eyes, her rage joined his and she was swept under the currents. Their bond magnified their feelings.

'You are MINE!' he thought. 'I don't share well and I would appreciate it if you didn't fawn over your ex-lover.'

"That's not my problem!" she yelled back at him, taking a step closer. Sookie wasn't sure what she was going to do when she reached Eric. She was taken over by their combined hostile feelings and they needed a place to go.

Unfortunately Pam chose this moment to chuckle. "Aw how cute. A lover's spat."

Sookie launched herself at the vampire she called friend. She backhanded Pam who stumbled back one step before she picked Sookie up by her throat growling severely as she lost all the humor that was in her face. Sookie was no longer in control of her body, but that didn't mean that it didn't know what to do. Her leg kicked out into Pam's gut, causing her to bend and drop Sookie. As soon as Sookie's feet touched the ground she jerked her knee up catching Pam's face before she had a chance to straighten herself. Pam was knocked back a few steps but she pivoted on one foot kicking the other straight out making contact with Sookie's chest. Sookie flew back, out the door and onto the porch before she arched her back and let her momentum flip her over. She landed in a crouch just on the edge of the porch. Sookie launched herself at Pam again, going for her throat. Right before she could make contact she felt a steel grip wind it's way around her arms and body. She thrashed against it but it was futile. Then she was bombarded with calm.

"Enough Sookie." Eric commanded. "Pam, sit." Pam moved out of Sookie's sight, but Eric kept a firm grip on her. He could feel her calming but he thought it to be better safe than sorry. "Sookie, Pam is centuries old, you cannot fight her. Pam," he turned so that he and Sookie were facing Pam and Bill-who had a look of complete shock on his face, "Sookie is my bonded and you will not fight her. Am I understood?"

"Hey she attacked me." Pam defended, but Eric growled menacingly at her. "Understood Master."

"Sookie, you feel like yourself again. Can I let you go without fearing you will attack my child again?" Eric asked with a hint of humor.

Sookie cringed. "Oh no, Pam. I am so sorry! I can't believe that I did that, I wasn't even mad at..." her voice trailed away as she remembered what set of her enraged state. "You big jerk!" She accused stepping away from Eric hitting him on the arm. "This is your fault. You were mad that Bill touched my face and then you pounded me with rage when I touched his!"

"You can read his thoughts?" Pam asked, then quickly looked at the ground when Eric shot her a glare.

"I can feel him." Sookie covered, telling Pam only part of the truth. "His feelings overwhelmed me, so I stepped away from Bill. When you laughed at me, my rage joined his and the next thing I knew I was flinging myself at you. I couldn't stop myself." She felt a twinge of pain in her chest and she raised her shirt to look down at herself. There was a red mark that was in the shape of Pam's foot, she knew it would bruise. "By the way Pam, ouch."

Pam chuckled and shrugged her shoulders "Oops." She replied sarcastically, before turning to Eric. "She's going to need training Master. I would be happy to help if need be, she seems very apt to combat as it is. She can be very strong."

Eric could tell that she was wording her phrases very carefully because she was still afraid he may punish her for hurting his bonded. To tell the truth, he did want to rip her limb from limb for daring to touch Sookie in such a manner. However he knew that Sookie attacked her-because of him-and she had just acted on instinct. He was content to let her squirm a while longer though. "I agree. I'll tell you when I need your help child." On the inside he was in awe of Sookie. Her body gave his would-be reactions out of pure instinct. She had tapped into him and didn't even know it. She was beautiful, so limber and liquid in her motions as if they were second nature to her. He could understand the beauty she saw when he was fighting. And she called him magnificent? She was truly something to behold.

Sookie looked at him with fear in her eyes. 'Don't worry lover.' he thought. 'We will start tonight after we are alone.' He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the couch and onto his lap. He rubbed her back reassuringly. "It doesn't look like we will be able to question the bear again dear one." he informed her. "His injuries were too much, he died when you were getting dressed." Sookie gasped in horror. "Don't worry, we will figure this out."

Normally she would be horrified that a man lost his life on her property, but she couldn't bring herself to feel sorry for him personally. She just felt a general pang because life was precious and any loss caused by anything unnatural was sad. Though this man had attacked her bonded, and had did his very best to kill him. She didn't delude her self to think that there was another way because the only other outcome there could have been was for Eric to have died. The thought of his loss knocked the air right out of her. She couldn't seem to find the right button in her body to refill her lungs and her body went rigid.

Eric saw the air fly out her body, but before he could ask her a question he realized that he hadn't inhaled again. He grabbed her face and looked into her eyes panicked. She was tensed, but as soon as their eyes met, he saw something click inside her and she took a ragged breath. He opened his mouth to comment but she spoke before he could form his words.

"Eric, has anybody wondered where he learned to control his thoughts?" she asked.

"Yes..." he said reading her thoughts.

"He had to practice on someone and I know for sure that it wasn't me. How many telepaths do we know?"

"Barry?" Pam asked, raising one of her eyebrows. "But Eric said that the bear was sent by Felipe."

"I couldn't get a clear reading on him, I only heard what he wanted me to."

Pam wasn't about to give up that quick. "But you've made no secret about it being hard to read shifters."

"Okay let me rephrase. I was able to hear him clearly and it wasn't normal." Sookie said trying to skate around the fact because of Eric's blood the shifters mind was as clear as any humans.

"We found out that I am able to amplify her gift through our bond." Eric chimed in, coming to Sookie's rescue. "It seems convenient." His tone was enough to stop Pam's inquisition though Sookie could see the wheels turning in her mind.

"Anyway, someone had taught him how to think around me. I only heard what he wanted me to. He was practiced. As it is now we don't know if what I did hear was truth or a lie he needed us to believe." She continued.

"So either someone has taken Barry, or Stan is in on this." Bill chimed in finishing Sookie's thought, much to Eric's annoyance. "Or we are missing something completely..." Bill lapsed into deep thought.

"Right." Sookie pressed on. "For now I think we should concentrate on what we do know because what we don't is just too much to narrow down. So, Eric have you spoken to the king since Rhodes?"

"Yes, he called last week, as a matter of fact, to invite us back to Texas. He's healed, and he wants to show his...appreciation to you. He understood the situation I was in with the new king, so the invitation is open ended."

'I think we should take him up on his offer.' Sookie thought as she laid her head on his shoulder.

'I think you are right lover. But we will need to prepare you some if we are to go anywhere.' She gave a moan of approval and nestled her head closer to the crook of his neck. He was still rubbing her back lightly. "We will go to Dallas. I will make the arrangements. If Stan is against us, we need to know why and what his plans are. If he is with us, we need to solidify his loyalty.

"Pam, go back to Fangtasia, and prepare it for our absence. Also, dispose of the Bear's body. Bill, I want to know everything you can tell me about Barry, and every vampire under Stan's rule. I don't want any blind spots." Both Bill and Pam nodded to Eric and then disappeared into the night.

"Now what?" Sookie asked.

"Now, my love, You go pack about two weeks worth of clothes, don't worry about dress clothes. We are going to my house."

"Your house?" she pulled away so that she could look into his eyes. "Why?"

Eric pretended to be hurt and said "You don't want to see where I live lover?" He made his bottom lip tremble. Sookie frowned at him.

"That's not fair Eric." she complained. He sighed and made his lip tremble again. He looked pitiful, and even though she knew he was just playing she wanted to comfort him anyway. She huffed. "You are completely unscrupulous (thank you word of the day calendar), you big jerk."

"True, but I usually get what I want." Sookie rolled her eyes. "Will you come?"

"Of course I'll come, but you're still a big jerk." Eric's answering smile was so radiant, it almost took her breath away. He was absolutely delicious and she was reminded that she never got to have any fun tonight, just frustration. "Great! Now go pack." he said, standing them both up and pulled her into the bedroom.

She slid her arms around his neck and twined her hands into his hair. "I think I might need you to help me." She whispered pulling his lips to hers. She didn't care what happened next. No matter if the house caught fire (again), or if a meteor landed in her front yard, or even if aliens landed on her porch assuring her that they came in peace, nothing was going to stop her from having her Viking. Anybody that showed up would just have to sit back and enjoy the show because nothing was going to stop her now.

Eric chuckled at her frenzied thoughts. He leaned down to pick her up. "And here I was thinking that I was always the aggressor in our relationship."

"Then you need to rethink our relationship." Sookie panted, then pulled herself closer to him.

There was nothing soft about their coupling. Their bodies were in agony with need. The constant starting and stopping had taken it's toll on both of them. This wasn't desire or want as he slammed her against the wall ripping the clothes from her body. This was a need to become one, this was a compulsion to join their bodies.

Sookie wrapped her legs around his waist and tugged on his shirt, she needed to see the beauty of his body as they connected. In the next moment it was gone. She ground her hips against him making a moan escape his mouth. He pulled away from her and looked into her eyes, then he threw her on the bed. Before she could even stop bouncing, his pants were gone and he was standing in front her naked and more than ready. Sookie opened her legs for him and he was on top of her within a blink of an eye. His lips attacked hers again, and she happily parted them for him.

He slid into her at the same moment his tongue entered her mouth. His rhythm was fast and frantic like he was afraid she would disappear from him if he didn't pin her down. She rocked her hips in time with his thrust. She was overcome with a need to drive him deeper and deeper into her. Sookie could fill every bit of Eric inside her and she couldn't get enough of him. She felt him throughout her body as he searched for that particular spot. He pulled her right thigh higher so that he could reach deeper and she cried out his name. Primitive sounds escape them both as Sookie contracted her muscles around his length. Eric growled and reclaimed her mouth while shifting his body slightly to the left hitting that special spot like a bulls eye. Sookie tossed her head back and screamed his name in ecstasy.

"No lover, look at me!" He commanded her. She happily obliged. She felt his building climax on the horizon but she soon realized that she was going to beat him. Sookie cried out as Eric hit her spot over and over again, making her body contract and jerk then sent her on a wave of ecstasy. Eric jerked within her and bit down on her breast as he came too.

Eric still lay within her as he drew on her blood, then licked the small wounds. Their bodies jerked and spasmed together as aftershocks rocked them together. Sookie was completely out of breath, she had never experienced anything like that before. She brushed Eric's hair out of his face and kissed him tenderly on the forehead, then his now flushed cheeks and finally on his lips.

They stared into each others eyes in wonderment. Eric looked unstable; and Sookie looked shaken. Neither said anything as they gazed into the others soul. They were connected, in every sense of the word and Sookie could feel every fiber of Eric's being inside her own. Their bond was not only open it was like it exploded to create a cocoon around them. It was as if they were no longer two people who have a connection; they had melted into one another to create a whole new being all together.

The atmosphere in the room changed. The air was heavier, and more electric. They were so filled with each other that it rolled off of them and concentrated around them. The cocoon of the bond was completely open and it encased them in a perfect circle. All of their feelings not only washed between the bond but also began to fill the circle around them.

Sookie knew that the time was now, she no longer wanted to wait until tomorrow night to re-bond with Eric. Now is the time and every cell in her body was screaming it at her. "Eric, I love you more than words can describe. You are stubborn, violent, manipulative, arrogant, loving, thoughtful, and so many other things that I couldn't possible list them all. But I love you, and I accept you for who you are. I probably won't always be happy with the things you have to do, but I promise to not try and ever change you. I will never leave you. No matter what happens from this moment on. I promise to always find my way back to you. You have never let me down. I am not sure where my path is supposed to go, but I do know that it's supposed to be joined with yours. You are all that I want. If I were to loose everything else in my life, I would still be the happiest person on the planet if you were all that remained. So I, Sookie Stackhouse, freely offer you, Eric Northman, my heart, my love, myself. I carry you in my spirit always."

Sookie was crying earnestly now. She was surprised to see the tears that had formed in his eyes too. As they began to fall she kissed them away, and smiled at Eric. She could see gold and silver sparks streak across their bonded circle but she didn't care, they never touched them and they never left the circle. They oddly felt like an extension of them, and it brought her comfort.

Eric took a deep breath before saying. "I accept. Sookie I love you more than you know, and certainly more than any words in any language can ever express. You make me crazy! You are the most stubborn, temperamental, loving, caring, giving, selfless person I know. Life has beaten you up, knocked you down, and stomped on you, but you still manage to remain pure and unhardened. You even found it in your heart to bring a monster like me back to life. You are the best person I know, the best part of me. So I Eric Northman, freely and happily offer you, Sookie Stackhouse, my heart-that hasn't beat in over a thousand years until you came along, my love-that has found no place to live until you gave it a home, and myself. I am not perfect, but you accepted me anyway. I pledge my sword, my life, my spirit to you always."

"I accept." Sookie whispered as Eric licked away her tears before kissing her lovingly. He slid out of her slowly. He needed to heal her wounds. Before she could miss him he inserted a bloody finger. She sighed contentedly as his blood slowly healed her. He offered her his neck, and she accepted. His blood had taken on a new flavor to her. It was sweet and healing and exhilarating. It was like she was swallowing sunshine and happiness and love. Nothing had ever tasted so good to her. A low growl was building in his chest and he sped up the rhythm of his finger inside her. He shifted so that he was positioned at her entrance again. Sookie drew deeply and Eric slid right back into her. Sookie moaned at his reentry and drew deeply one last time before she released his neck. Eric moaned deeply as he felt Sookie lick the wounds she created to drink from him.

By now they both could visibly see the sphere that encased them. Silver and gold whirled around them. There was no longer gold and silver static that was harmlessly striking within their bonded circle. It had grown, it was more powerful, it had turned into lightening. They couldn't bring themselves to worry, or even to stop. This felt natural to them. As they looked deeper into each others eyes, the lightening was no longer contained in their bonded sphere. It struck out hitting various places around the room.

Sookie laid back and looked at Eric, her mouth was still bloody. She slowly licked the blood away from her lips and Eric reclaimed her mouth. He struggled to keep the pace he was at, he had all the time in the world for her. He didn't want her hard and fast. He wanted to savor her, consume her slowly. She was making this very hard for him. The more he tried to control himself, the more the gold lightening around them struck out at her room violently. She moved in tune with him, moaning his name and grabbing his ass. "Sookie." He whispered as he brought them both closer to climax. She arched her back and he caught the nipple of her right breast in his mouth, grazing it with his fangs. He felt her shudder underneath him and he bit, sending them both over into complete bliss.

He drew on her as the aftershocks rippled through their bodies. Her blood was sweeter than it had ever been to him. It was the most extraordinary thing he had tasted in his long existence. Full blood fairy didn't even compare. He felt her wind her fingers through his hair gently tugging him closer to her and moaning his name when he drew deeply from her. The ground rumbled and the house around them began to quake as another shudder ripped through her body causing one in him. The house groaned with the strain of trying to stay upright. He didn't pull out of her yet, being connected made them both feel whole, and the spasms that rippled through them did interesting things to their bodies. He drew deeply once more them he forced himself to retract his fangs, he didn't want to weaken her, and he licked her wounds. Then extracted himself from her body so that he could lie next to her. He pulled her close and she rested her head on his chest gently tracing patternless pictures on his skin with her eyes closed.

She was exhausted and all she wanted to do was sleep, but she was too wary of what had just taken place. "Eric what the hell was that?" She asked. She could feel him trying to soothe her in the bond so that she would continue to lie in his arms instead of getting up, but he was just as weary.

"Sookie I don't know what that was. It was amazing. You are amazing." he said, trying to distract her.

"Eric look at my room. How were we even able to do all this damage." They sat up in the bed to have a better look around.

The windows were shattered, as were the floor length mirror and the bulbs of the lamp, ceiling light, and even her clock was damaged beyond repair. Gaping holes had been knocked into the ceiling, and every wall, the door to her room was split in two and hanging precariously by only one hinge. The door to her bathroom was still open but she no longer needed it to look inside because the biggest hole was in the wall that separated the two rooms.

Sookie got out of bed, and gingerly walked into the bathroom to see what may have been done there. It wasn't nearly as bad. There were just a few dents in the wall and the light bulbs had been shattered. It also looked like the mirror took a direct hit, the glass wasn't shattered but it was cracked. It was a good thing that she wasn't superstitious because she would spend the next two decades with bad luck.

"What is this?" she complained. "We don't have enough to worry about with someone trying to kill us? Now we have to worry about destroying my house when we have sex!" Sookie's chest heaved, but her legs were still a little wobbly from Eric's attentions and she sat down on the bed before she could fall.

"It's not that bad lover." Eric said.

"WE MADE THE EARTH QUAKE ERIC! Don't patronize me please. This is bad."

Eric pulled her into his arms. "Sookie," he started in a serious tone. "I have no idea what this was. We will figure it out. All I know is that it felt like us doing this. The lightening or whatever it was, felt like a part of us. We need to get to my house tonight, but I think you should take a nap first. I love you Sookie, and you are the most beautiful creature I have ever laid my eyes on."

"But?" she prompted when he let his voice trail away.

"You look like hell lover, and I mean that in the best possible sense." Despite herself, Sookie roared in laughter. She should be mad and offended, but she felt out of wack and levity was the emotion her mind settled on. Eric's laughter joined hers and they sat there together, laughing at something neither really thought was funny-that just made them laugh even more.

"Okay I will try to sleep for a little bit, and then we can go, but can we call Niall? I would really like to talk to him about this new development." She wasn't sure what was going on but she hoped that it had something to do with the blood he inherited from her Fairy Prince Great Grandfather Niall. She didn't know much about gifts and things that fairies were capable of, but if this is fairy related, maybe he could shed some light.

Eric thought about it for a moment, he was glad that Sookie was so distracted by her own rambling thoughts that she wasn't paying attention to his. If he was being honest with her-therefore himself-he would say out loud that he really didn't want to bring the fairy prince in on this just yet if he could help it. He'd had lots of experience with different fairies and this didn't seem in the least bit like any fairy thing he'd encountered in the past. However on the other hand they had so many things to look out for and maybe Niall could help. Even if he couldn't shed any light on what's going on between them, at the very least he wouldn't stop until he found answers. Niall would never let anything harm Sookie, and if something was going on he wouldn't stop until he had a reason, an explanation, and a solution. Unlike them, Niall would be free to obsess...

"Sure lover, we will call Niall as soon as we get to my house. I will get us ready to leave. Sleep now Sookie, try to relax. I have you, and I am never letting go." Eric murmured.

"I love you." Sookie said.

"I love you more." Eric replied.

She giggled at Mr. Competitive...did this now make her Mrs. Competitive? Sookie dismissed the thought instantly because she just didn't care. They had sealed the bond. If it was permanent before, there certainly is no way in hell to get rid of it now. She could barely believe that she had ever wanted to. Right now, in this moment, her world was perfect. She was in love with a man that would do anything for her. She loved him so much, and she felt his love. She turned her head and kissed him right above his nipple, and then settled back into her nook. He stroked her hair gently.

"Liar." she whispered and then drifted contentedly off to sleep to the sound of his gentle laughter.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Okay everyone, I am sorry for the delay. It takes me a while because I read, re-read, and re-read the chapters (then run them through three spell checks) myself because I have no beta. If anyone is interested please let me know. I am not feeling all that well so there are probably more mistakes then usual. I apologize, all mistakes are mine feel free to point them out and I will correct them asap. I know I know I am still throwing a lot at you, but bare with me. Thank you to everyone who have sent reviews and messages of support. I write this for y'all. As always all reviews, comments, and questions are welcome. I have a twisted mind sometimes and it may make sense to me but it may not to someone else. Please enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear in the Sookie Stackhouse novels. Later on I have characters that who were created for the soul use of this story. Mrs. Harris I am poor, so please don't sue.

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Chapter 7

"Sookie," a gentle voice called to her, "wake up Dear One." She felt the lightest pressure as something-lips maybe?-brushed across her cheek. "Sookie," the voice continued, now giving her a little shake. "Sookie wake up, you have got to see this."

She woke up and sat up but she didn't open her eyes. She was still half asleep and she had been so comfortable that she didn't want to wake up at all; but the voice that spoke to her was so beautiful and gentle, and she would do anything for it. She stretched and opened up her eyes to find a pair of crystal blue ones looking right back at her.

"Good morning sleepy head." Eric said with a beautiful smile.

Sookie smiled her greeting, still a little half asleep, and looked around. She was in a massive room bigger then her house. She could see that it was sectioned off. In one area there was an overstuffed black leather couch along with an overstuffed love seat, they were both angled towards a massive flat screen that was hanging on the wall. There was a section opposite the sitting area that was his work area. There was an over sized desk (well over sized for her but probably custom for him) made of some dark wood, that she couldn't identify. It behind the desk were two large silver 4-drawer filing cabinets, on either side of the filing cabinets there were two massive book shelves made of the same wood as the desk. All four bookshelves were completely filled with books. In the far right corner she saw that here was a small kitchen it held the most important things, floor and ceiling cabinets, a regular sized refrigerator, a microwave, and a toaster oven sat on the cabinets. There was a door off to the immediate left that looked like it was the bathroom and a floor to ceiling mirror right next to it.

"Where are we?" She asked.

"It depends, do you want me to be literal or technical?" Eric replied.

She looked at him for a moment, and he was completely unconcerned. "How about both?"

He smiled. "Well, I tried to wake you up a few times but I guess you were more tired then I thought. So I brought you here. We are at my house in Shreveport. Technically you are in a part of my daytime sleeping room."

"Part of?" Sookie questioned.

"There's another part to it but I would rather show you that later."

"Okay." She said trying to clear the last of the cobwebs from her brain. "If we are technically at your house, then where are we literally?"

"I would have to say that we are dreaming again, like before when we shared the day light." Eric was positively beaming now.

A slow smile crossed her face as she processed what he was saying. "Really?" He nodded. "But then, how long have I been sleeping?"

Eric closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated. "There is six hours before I wake."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"Okay so what do you want to do this time?" She asked with a coy smile.

The smile vanished from Eric. "What is it Eric?"

"I think that we need to talk about a few things Sookie."

"But this is a dream Eric, can't we just enjoy it?"

"Not this time lover, we have got to get some things strait and I think that this is the best place to do it. I think that this is more then a dream." He looked Sookie steadily in the eyes willing her to understand.

"You don't have to do that." She snapped at him when she felt the pressure on her eyes. "What do we need to talk about?"

"We are leaving for Texas in a few days, and I don't want to take you there while you are so vulnerable. I think that I should teach you how to defend yourself. At the very least, how not to get killed." Sookie's eyes swelled with fear.

"You think we will be attached in Texas?" Her voice trembled a bit.

"I think that there is always a possibility of us getting attacked, and I for one am tired of you ending up in the hospital. You are a big target, and I think that it's time to make you stronger then the weakest link."

"Eric," she started.

"No Sookie." He said firmly. "You are the one that refuses to let us take care of things. Even when you have no intention of fighting, you still somehow end up in the middle of everything getting hurt. You need to learn how to fight."

"Okay, okay. I will learn how to fight." She said holding her hands up in mock-surrender. "When do you want to start our lessons?"

Eric beamed, "Well there's no time like the present." He stood up from the bed and Sookie could see that he was dressed in black leather pants and a white tunic that came to about mid thigh. His hair was pulled back in a low ponytail and he was the most delicious thing she had ever saw.

Sookie took him all in slowly. She started at his shiny black boots, then up his black pants, they clung to him in just the right way. She blew out a breath and bit her lip. His tunic was sheer and it accented his muscles perfectly. By the time she reached his eyes, she couldn't take it anymore. She launched herself at him, roughly claiming his mouth.

Eric returned her kisses but then gently but forcefully pushed her away with a laugh. "I take it that you really like my outfit."

"Oh yes very much so." She said, trying to pull herself closer to him, but it was no use.

"I'm glad." he said. "That means you will like yours too." That was enough to stop Sookie's struggles to pull herself closer to him.

She looked down at herself, and sure enough she was wearing an identical outfit only instead of it being black and white It was solid red. Her tunic was so sheer that she could easily see her matching red bra underneath. She had on matching red leather boots that had a three inch spike heal on it. She raised her eyebrow in question at the ridiculous heal.

He shrugged. "Hey just because it's a dream doesn't mean that you can't look good for me." She shook her head at him in amusement. "Come on lover, let's get started." He took her hand and they closed their eyes. Sookie didn't picture anything because she didn't know where they were supposed to practice.

"Okay Sookie." Eric said, and she opened her eyes.

They looked to be in Eric's back yard, it was quite bare of anything except for them and the massive house. There was no fence or flowers or anything. She could see that Eric's house was three stories tall. It made the Bellfleur mansion look like an outhouse. It was a beautiful house.

"There's usually a deck, a pool, a jacuzzi, a pool house and some other things out here but, I figured that we didn't need it for our purposes here." Eric said. He had walked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. Come dear one, let's get started."

They walked a little ways away from the house then they turned to face each other. The house was now their background, and Sookie concentrated on her teacher.

"Okay Sookie, it seems that you have been able to tap into me." She was about to interrupt but he just held his hand up, so that he could continue. "It was me, and my skills, and my abilities that you used when you were fighting Pam. I stepped in that fight because I knew that you were going for the kill shot, and I could not have you killing my child. If you would have missed, she would have known that you were trying to kill her and she would have killed you." He took an unneeded breath and continued. "I guess I should say she would have tried to kill you, because I would not have allowed it. I would have killed her before she could ever harm you."

Tears were running down Sookie's cheeks. "No, Eric. She is your child."

"Yes, but you are my bonded. No one is more important to me then you, but I would have lamented greatly at Pam's loss. This is why you must learn to control yourself."

She was still crying and unable to speak, so she just nodded her head.

"First we will need to figure out how to block, so that you are not overwhelmed by my feelings. I am going to project something to you through our bond and I want you to block them the best way you can. Try using the same blocks you use for your telepathy."

Sookie took a deep breath so that she could focus on the task at hand. She calmed herself and wiped away the remaining tears. She nodded to Eric so that he would know she was ready.

Eric started with something that was easy, he projected calm to her.

Sookie could feel the calm bombard her system, making everything relax within her. She wanted to enjoy the emotion, and she couldn't think for the life of her why she should block this. Then a tiny voice told her she needed to focus. She tried to brush it away but the voice continued. So she threw up a block to the bond. The calm that flowed into her didn't cease but it let up enough so that she could think clearly. She smiled at Eric.

"Good work lover," he said. "Now I am going to amplify it and I want you to reinforce your shields okay?" She nodded.

Sookie felt an increase of pressure on the bond as Eric tried to overrun her with calm. Her block caved in under the intensity of emotion. She tried to think about how to block this because clearly the blocks she uses for peoples thoughts was not substantial enough. Eric's emotion ran over her like a raging river, like air over a plane at 30,000 feet.

A plain at 30,000 feet, didn't air just go over the airplane with ease? Aerodynamics (not formally educated but reads a lot remember)! That gave her an idea. Instead of trying to block Eric's emotion, she let them run through her. Instead of a wall to block she threw up two walls that came together in front of her at a point. Instead of the blocks holding the powerful emotions out completely the two walls directed the emotions away from her. Instead of being pulled under by the current of emotion, it flowed around her. She could feel the calm that he was sending her but it had all the pressure of a stream running over her feet. Then the pressure of calm stopped, and Sookie felt pride.

Sookie opened her eyes to see Eric beaming at her. She dropped her shields and smiled back. "I did good?"

"Oh yes, my lover, you were perfect." He grabbed her in a tight hug and twirled her around. "You are a natural." He set her back on her feet again.

"Okay, so what now?" she asked. Know that she blocked the emotions, she wondered what this would mean. "I can't block you completely, but if I just redirect you so that your emotions are not directly running over me then I won't loose myself."

"I think that we should experiment with stronger emotions. Let's try anger." Eric took a step back and waited for Sookie's signal of readiness. He tried to think of something that would make him mad but he couldn't.

'What if I told you that I had a make-out session with Bill at his house the night before you came to see me?' Sookie supplied him trying to be helpful.

Eric growled severely and rage exploded from him.

Sookie was knocked back a step when the rage surged into her. She hadn't expected such a severe reaction and she wasn't prepared for it. The rage knocked her shield down and she launched her self at Eric. She was throwing punches at him furiously but he kept blocking her so she turned for a round house kick. It hit it's mark, her heal connected to Eric's jaw.

Sookie watched in horror as Eric flew to the side. She threw up the biggest block that she could muster and the rage flowed around her instead of on top of her. Once again she was in control of her self. Eric landed in a crouch, and Sookie instinctively dropped to one knee. She was pushing calm at Eric as hard as she could. He was in front of her within a blink of an eye.

She looked up at him. "Sorry." she said in a small voice. "I didn't think you would react like that. I was just trying to irritate you."

"It worked." He replied and he pulled her to her feet. "I will never hurt you Sookie, don't ever be afraid of me." He promised.

Sookie relaxed, and looked up into his eyes. He was completely sincere. "I'm sorry. And I threw up a block as soon as I could."

"I know." Eric said. "That's why I let you fight. I wanted to see how long before you would be able to control yourself. You did very well lover."

"No I didn't, I kicked you." She pointed out.

"Yes you did. Which means that you are able to adapt yourself when your attack wasn't working." Eric smiled at her again, with pride.

Still smiling she felt rage threw the bond again. Sookie stiffened in his arms but was able to throw up her block before she attacked Eric again. The rage subsided and was again replaced with pride.

"Perfect." he said.

Sookie hit him on the arm "You big jerk, why did you do that?"

"Because you won't have any warnings when my mood shifts, and you've got to be prepared for it." Of course he was right but she didn't feel like admitting it to him right now. "So I will keep sending random emotions to you testing your shield."

"Fine." she agreed. "Now what?"

"I think that we should move on to physical combat." Eric was beaming at the prospect of battle...even an imaginary one.

Sookie could feel his anticipation through the bond, but she was nervous. She didn't want to fight her viking. She would rather run though town naked on a Sunday afternoon then to face her viking in a fight, even an imaginary one. She would rather face an army of vampire army and a whole pack of Weres by herself then face Eric.

"Don't worry Sookie." Eric tried to soothe. "I couldn't bring myself to attack you so-" he stepped aside and waved his arm. Pam appeared. "I have enlisted help."

"I don't want to fight Pam!" Sookie said incredulously. "That's almost as bad as fighting you."

Sookie raised her own hand and waved it at Pam, who turned into Victor Madden. "I really hate him." Sookie stated. Eric erupted in laughter. He actually bent forward and had to clutch his stomach because he was laughing so hard. Sookie rolled her eyes and chuckled a bit at him, then waited for his extreme humor to subside.

"Okay, okay." He said as he straitened back up and whipped bloody tears away. "If you get him then we must also have them." He waved his hand next to Victor and Felipe De Castro, Johnathan, Debbie Pelt, Lorena, Bill, Alcide, Quinn, and Jason appeared.

"What?!" Sookie almost yelled. "I understand why Felipe, Johnathan, Debbie Pelt, and Lorena are here, but why are Bill, Alcide, Quinn, and Jason?"

"Well you have to fight someone and it would please me to no end to see you kick Bill, Quinn, and Alcide's ass. And tell me you're not itching to kick Jason's"

"You are insufferable." She complained.

"And you are stalling." He smiled when she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Fine, where do we start?" She asked not too graciously. It really irritated her when he was right.

It pleased him greatly when she had to admit it.

"It seems that you have been working off of my instincts, so we should build there. I will have one of them attack you, and we will see the extent of your fighting knowledge."

"Okay." she said, a little worried. Can you get bruised up in a dream she wondered, then quickly banished it so that she could concentrate-she didn't want to find out.

"We will start with just one." Eric said and waved Debbie forward. Debbie was a shifter and very strong, but Sookie has had a lot of Eric's blood so at the very least they should be even (though Sookie thought she should have the advantage). "Ready. Attack."

Debbie launched herself at Sookie, but she was ready and she ducked out the way. Debbie landed behind her in a crouch launching herself again, this time knocking Sookie down.

"You're not trusting yourself Sookie. Don't think about what you should do, let your body do what's instinctual."

Sookie tossed Debbie to the side and got to her feet. Debbie was about to attack Sookie again. She threw a punch that Sookie easily blocked. They continued like that. Debbie on the attack and Sookie on the defensive.

"Attack her Sookie." Eric advised. "Fighting is more then just keeping your opponent form hitting you, you have to hit them. You have to make sure that you are the one to end it. If you won't they will."

Sookie blocked an upper cut from Debbie and hit her over her heart with the bottom of her palm. Debbie staggered back a few steps but didn't fall. Sookie used this opening to attack. She threw furious punches at Debbie, who was struggling under the force of Sookie's attack.

"As soon as one fight is over another one starts, sometimes you will have to fight multiple people at once. You cannot hesitate. That hesitation could kill you, or someone you love." Eric nodded his head to Victor who launched himself at Sookie's back.

Sookie saw an opening to end it with Debbie but she couldn't take it. She jumped strait up, just in time for Victor to miss and crash into Debbie. Victor quickly recovered, and then he was on Sookie. He matched Sookie blow for blow. He wasn't just defending he was attacking too. Sookie was strong but she was still human. She was made stronger because she had drank from Eric, but she was still no match for a vampire. Victor caught Sookie with a kick to the gut knocking her a few feet back.

Sookie landed hard on her back. Her eyes blurred with tears. She heard Eric roar with anger. His anger washed through her and Sookie embraced it. Through the blur she saw Victor's body coming towards her. She rolled out the way then got to her feet. She thought it best to try evasion now. Both Debbie and Victor were launching themselves at her but she just managed to evade their grasp.

"Sookie you are not trusting yourself. True it's two of them against you but you have something they don't." Eric said.

Sookie lost her focus for a second to look at Eric. That was all that Victor and Debbie needed. Debbie landed a punch to Sookie's jaw, and Victor knocked her legs from under her. Debbie roughly pulled her to her feet holding her arms behind her back. Victor stood in front of her. She kicked her leg strait out towards him but he was just out of her reach.

"What is that!" Sookie spat.

"You have a thousand years of fighting experience at your disposal. You are fighting on my instincts but you are not fighting with me. Open yourself, fill yourself with me and my experiences and my strength. Don't resist me."

Victor smiled widely at Sookie. She and she was flooded with anger. This time it was her own. Victor was about to go for the kill punch. Debbie still had a firm grip on her arms behind her back. At the last moment Sookie bent forward, leaving Debbie exposed. Sookie was right about Victor going for the kill shot because his fist didn't just connect with her face, it broke through the bone and into her skull. Debbie's grip instantly slacked and Sookie launched her shoulder into Victor's gut. He stumbled back a few steps.

Sookie jumped back several feet, trying to put as much distance between them as possible. It was useless. Victor reached her in one bound and once again they were fighting, hand to hand. Sookie was tiring, and Victor wasn't.

"You still aren't open to me Sookie." Eric called. "Stop thinking, and just embrace me. Draw on my experience like it was your own. Draw on my strength like it was your own." As great as she was doing on her own he could tell that she was starting to fade. He had to motivate her one way or another. "Victor will kill you, which means that he would kill me too. Will you really allow me to perish just because you don't want to let go?"

This struck a chord with Sookie. As if it was the emphases to Eric's words, Victor landed a side kick to Sookie's ribs. Sookie flew ten feet to the side, then rolled a few more once she hit the ground. The pain was so keen in her side it seared through her. Her eyes watered. She turned her head to see Victor sauntering slowly towards her. He had a smile on his face that made her want to throw up. She could see the same killer glint in his eyes that she saw right before he put his hand through Debbie's skull.

She knew she needed to get up, but her body would no longer cooperate.

"You still are not letting go Sookie." Eric murmured. It was hurting him that she didn't relinquish herself to him.

Sookie could feel his pain more then the pain of her own body. His pain was all that mattered to her. Why is she fighting so hard against this? She already knew the answer but she didn't want to believe it. Not wanting to believe, didn't make it any less true. She was holding on to what she perceived as the last bit of herself. She wanted to be one with Eric, but where would that leave her? Would she loose track of who she was as a person? She didn't want to loose herself, but she couldn't stand his pain any longer. She would rather loose herself then endure it for even one moment.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She let Eric seep into her. She could feel him bombard every cell in her body. She could feel herself standing with her arms across her chest, but that wasn't her. She was still on the ground. She was feeling the posture of Eric.

She could feel the weight of a thousand years crash on top of her but it wasn't as heavy as she thought it should be. She opened her eyes to the sky again. Eric; the weight was lighter because Eric was carrying the burden to. She could feel the experience of that thousand years, every battle, every skirmish, every war settle in every muscle. The fact that she was almost beat by Victor was laughable now.

More importantly she still felt herself. She wasn't lost. In fact, she added to the strength that flowed inside her.

Victor was standing over her now, with one leg raised. "Such a waste," he sneered. Then with all the force he could muster, he stomped down.

To Sookie, he wasn't moving in slow motion but he was moving slower then he was before. She understood that it was the perception that was gained after a thousand years. She was seeing him as Eric would have. She reached up and caught his foot. She could feel the pressure he was exerting as he tried to break her hand and then her skull.

Sookie smiled because it didn't even faze her. With a flick of her wrist she tossed Victor more then thirty feet. He landed at Eric's feet. Sookie stood in one quick smooth motion. She smiled at Eric, and he returned it.

"It's about time." Eric said. She shrugged her shoulders.

"I am ready." She said.

Eric nodded his head and everyone launched themselves at Sookie at once. Felipe reached her first, but she easily discarded him with a round house kick that made purchase with his temple. She decided to try hand to hand with the rest. It all felt so easy. She easily dodged out of the way of their attacks, replacing them with her own. They were flying away from her then launching themselves back at her. She was delighted when she came face to face with Jason and she broke his wrist with the tiniest flick of her own, then she broke his jaw. After a few more moments everyone was layed out before her.

She turned to Eric, who was trying not to laugh out loud. "Is this an illusion? Are they not as strong as they should be?" she asked. It made her eye twitch when she realize that she sounded like Eric instead of herself.

"No lover, in fact, I made them stronger then they should be. It's you." Eric informed her.

She processed that for a few moment. "Cool." She said, beaming at him. "What's next?"

"Do you want to try weapons?" He asked. He hoped that if she said yes, he would be able to restrain himself from taking her when he saw her wielding a sword.

Sookie smiled at his thoughts. "Yeah, let's try it." His thoughts alone made her eager to try it.

Two swords appeared in Eric's hands. They were almost identical. The only difference is that one was larger then the other, it was clearly made for him. He tossed the shorter one to her and she caught it with ease. She could see that the long blade was pristine. The hilt was ruby encrusted. She could see that there was a mark on the handle but she didn't understand it.

"Ready?" He asked. She nodded. "I think that we should make this interesting."

"How?" Sookie asked instantly worried again. She was surprised that she felt that worry. She thought that things that she would feel would disappear. Instead it appears that she still felt what she wanted, she was just not overrun by it.

With a flick of his hands her opponents were on their feet again. Alcide, Quinn, Jason, and Debbie began turning into their animal counterparts. Felipe, Jonathan, Victor and Bill all had swords of their own.

"Oh boy." Sookie murmured ominously. She wasn't all that worried because Eric's experience made her feel confident. She stood firm, and before Eric could wave them forward, she launched herself at them to begin the battle.

A fierce cry erupted from her lips as she landed in front of Jonathan. After two strikes of her sword she saw her opening and she beheaded him. Bill stepped up and then Felipe and Victor surrounded her. The Were's circled them as if creating a perimeter. Sookie was fast, she met their attack head on. Victor cut her back as she tried to behead Felipe. She cried out (Eric growled fiercely but he tried to restrain himself, she needed the practice) and turned to compensate for the miss. Felipe tried to behead her while she was distracted by Victor but missed. He did leave and opening for her to raise her sword over her head and brought it down with all of her might. She cut through his body from head to crotch, splitting him in two. Victor's eyes went wide as he watched what she did. He held up his sword ready to strike. They faced each other, then began to circle one another. Sookie noticed Bill step back to Lorena.

As Sookie turned in a circle facing Victor she swung her sword in a big circle at her side. She saw the confusion on Victor's face until he saw a lynx's head fly through the air. She'd killed Debbie...again. She couldn't stop herself from smirking at Victor. He was now enraged and he attacked. They fought hard. He was great with a sword, better then he was at hand to hand, but Sookie-backed by Eric-was better. Sookie let the fight continue just to see how long he could keep it up. Sookie moved so fast that Victor barely was able to block her.

Sookie quickly grew bored...no Eric was now bored with the fight. So with a great strike Sookie knocked the sword from Victor's hands, and plunged her own into his heart. She saw the light leave his eyes. She pulled it out and watched him fall to the ground.

Lorena let out a taunting laugh. She a Bill had been standing back watching. When she locked eyes with Lorena she was overcome with a hate she hadn't felt since she had killed her the first time. Sookie took a step forward towards Lorena but Bill stepped in between them.

That did it. Sookie raged and she felt her bond open up and completely circle her. Silver Lightening was swirling around the circle. It lashed out everywhere. She saw the tiger, the Were, and the half panther get knocked away from her; they weren't moving anymore. Sookie bent her knees into a crouch as Bill and Lorena looked at her with fear, but still ready for her attack. Lorena wasn't smiling anymore. Sookie jumped forward but as soon as her lightening encrusted sphere touched Bill and Lorena they were thrown backwards.

Sookie stopped and looked at them as they struggled to get to their feet. She wouldn't be able to touch them, her sphere wouldn't allow it. But she needed to fight them. She needed to kill them. She looked at Eric, he was mirroring her. She could see that he was encased also, but his enclosure was golden.

"The lightening or whatever it was, felt like a part of us." he had said last night.

Sookie locked eyes with Eric, then began to draw the electric energy inside of her. She could see the silver ball shrink around her. Her eyes widened at the power that was within her. She could feel it filling her up as it flowed into her. She felt herself change. It was as if she couldn't hold all the power as she was, she had to change so that she could accommodate it all.

The silver sphere was no longer around her. It filled her completely from head to toe. Eric was looking at her completely stunned.

"Sookie." Eric breathed.

"What?" He looked like he was looking at a three headed monster instead of her. "Eric what's wrong?" She took a step closer to him. When she reached him his sphere let her pass with no problems. A full length mirror appeared in front of him.

She looked very much the same, and yet very different. She still was wearing the red outfit that Eric had dressed her in but now her eyes were solid silver. There was no pupil, no iris, just solid silver for her eyes. Her hair was completely silver-almost white-too, and even though she wasn't moving, it billowed around her like she was in water. This was how she was was able to see that her ears were pointed delicately.

"Oh my God Eric. What's happened to me?" Sookie asked. She was glowing and small sparks still erupted around her, but now it hugged her skin.

The mirror disappeared from between them and Eric took her into his arms. "I think that you are more powerful then you let on lover."

She jerked back from him. "Me?" she said indignantly. "Eric you are glowing gold, I think that you have something to do with this too."

"Your right." He conceded. "Do you want to find out what you can do?" He asked nodding his head towards Lorena and Bill who stood there frozen.

"Can you do this too?" Sookie asked gesturing to herself.

"I think I can, I watched what you did carefully." he motioned for her to step back. He locked eyes with Sookie and began to bring his golden energy inside of himself.

Sookie could track the energy in his body as he began to glow (more then usual), it started at his feet and then climbed up his body. The more the golden sphere shrank the more Eric glowed. When it reached his eyes, his beautiful blue eyes disappeared and was replaced by startling gold. His hair that was gold to begin with lost the natural highlights and was glowing solid gold. She could see the static run over his skin too.

He smiled at her then waived his hand where Lorena and Bill stood still frozen, they were standing strait up now. Behind them fifty men and women appeared, Sookie could tell by the voids that they were all vampire. They all were armed with different weapons.

"I thought I would join you this time." Eric smiled. His eyes glowed brighter with anticipation.

Sookie focused for a second and a black sheath appeared slung over her shoulder. She slid the sword into it.

"What are you doing?" Eric questioned.

"I want to try a different weapon, I just don't know what." Sookie racked her brain for a suitable weapon but couldn't come up with anything; in the end it didn't matter.

Niall appeared out of thin air in front of Sookie and Eric.

"Great-Granddaughter you've called I have come." He said kissing her on the cheek.

"But I didn't call you, I was just trying to figure out what weapon to fight with."

"I know. I have something that belongs to you. When you were thinking of what to use, you actually called for them. I am here to deliver what it yours." Niall replied. He held out his hands and a long thin box appeared in front of him and he caught it.

He opened it and Sookie saw matching silver weapons. They had leather handles but the leather spiraled by silver, the lower points of the weapon flared out just a bit, and the long blade in the middle was came to a very sharp point. Sookie could see that there was an inscription on the blade but it wasn't anything she had ever seen before. They were beautiful.

"They are called sais." Niall said. "They were made especially for you. They have been waiting quite a while for you."

"Did you make them?" Sookie asked.

"No, not me." His eyes twinkled. "Go on and pick them up."

Sookie lifted the weapons delicately, she could feel the power hum inside it. It was cool to her her touch. She could feel it pulsate in her hand, like it was alive. She turned to Eric and held them out for his inspection.

"I don't know the words on the blades, do you Niall?"

"I do not." Niall answered.

"Where did they come from?" Eric pressed.

"I am afraid that I cannot tell you that, not just yet. I am held to my word. All I can say is that they are good, they were made specifically for Sookie and the maker will reveal himself later. They will not harm you...either of you."

"Are you sure?" Sookie asked.

"Trust me child." Niall said. "Eric, drop a bit of blood on each blade."

Eric bit his finger and dropped three drops of his blood on each of the blades. They both glowed a bright white for a few seconds and then they went back to their usual shiny silver.

"Now touch the blades Eric."

Eric frowned down at the weapons in Sookie's hands.

"No!" Sookie said frowning at Niall. She dropped the weapons to her sides. Her eyes glowed brighter silver and the electrical currents sparked over her skin.

"Sookie dear, hurting Eric would hurt you and I would never ever do that. I love you." She studied him for a second, then held the weapons out for Eric again. Eric took a breath and then touched one of the sais with his index finger. It hummed under his touched but there was no burning, he didn't pull his hand back in pain.

"It feels like you Sookie." Eric murmured. Sookie tilted her head to the side to look at him.

"That's because they were made to be a part of her. No one else will be able to use them except her. Only she can call them to her."

"Great-Grandfather, we need to talk." Sookie started.

"Later when you are awake." He said, then he kissed her cheek again. "You are truly a beautiful fairy." With that he disappeared.

"I'm a fairy now?" Sookie asked, still staring at the spot where Niall had disappeared. Eric didn't answer. "Eric?"

"I don't know Sookie." He finally said; he looked deep in thought. "When I tasted you last night, it was better then any fairy that I have ever tasted."

"Well Eric...wait. How many fairies have you tasted?" she asked thinking about Claudine.

"In my thousand years? Three." He felt her tense. "They were all centuries ago, and two were during the last great fairy war."

"Oh."

"You don't have to worry about any of your relatives." He pulled her close. "You're the only fairy I have a taste for." He kissed her and she forgot what she was about to say. She wished that she wasn't holding her weapons right then. In the next moment they were gone, but she didn't care at that particular moment. She hitched her leg around his waist.

"Sookie." Eric murmured when she pulled back from habit to breathe. "You are distracting me." He reclaimed her mouth and then gently pushed her away again. "You are making this hard on me...no joke intended."

Sookie groaned and took a step away from him. "When did you become such a stick in the mud?"

Eric laughed at her, then wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close so that he could whisper in her ear. "Work hard now, play hard later lover." Then he licked her ear, and released her.

A shiver rocketed through her body and it took a moment for her to shake her head clear.

"Fine, where are my sais at?" She looked around the ground and saw a shiny glint on the outside of her leg. Her sais were strapped to her in a black holster, one on each leg. "Oh, that's convenient."

She them from their holsters and turned to Eric. "Ready for battle?"

"Always lover. Always."

As they turned towards their adversaries a great ringing noise circled around them. Sookie Clenched her hands on her sais and pushed her knuckles to ears. The noise paused for a moment, then continued. Eric wrapped his arms around her.

"Eric what's happening?!" She shrieked.

Eric was talking but she couldn't make out his words, even with his lips at her ear. The ringing was too loud. She cried out again, but this time she felt a pulling. Everything was going dark and everything was pushing in on her like she was underwater. She jerked herself into a sitting position, but her grip had slackened. Sookie opened her eyes to see two silver things flying across the room away from her.

She was breathing hard and she was trying to orient herself with her surroundings. She heard the ringing sound again, and this time she realized that it was her cell phone. She reached to the only source of light in the room and opened her phone without looking to see who it was.

"What?" She snapped, still out of breath from being sucked out of her dream.

"Well good afternoon to you too," said Sam.

"Sam? Oh I'm sorry. I was sleep and my phone woke me up." she stifled a yawn and stretched. "What's up is there something wrong?"

"No, nothings wrong. I was just calling because I was told that you were going to need some time off of work and I wanted to know if you are okay." He sounded both worried and tired at the same time.

"Who told you that?" Sookie asked out of reflex. "And I am fine, we just have a situation going on. Eric and I were attacked by a were-bear."

"What!?!" Sam practically screamed in the phone.

"We're fine. He attack at my house, but Eric killed him. We don't know who he was, or what he was supposed to do with us, or who sent him."

"Oh Sook, what can I do?" Sam asked.

"Nothing Sam, you can do nothing." She assured him. "I am going to be staying with Eric for a while, and we are going out of town for a while. We will sort this out."

"You're staying with Eric? Are you his now?" Sam actually sounded bitter. "I belong to me, but Eric and I are together now." She heard Sam take in a breath so she kept talking. "I don't know where this is going, but it feels right. I need to see where this leads us."

"Aw Sook, when are you going to learn that you would be better off if you would just leave those damn vampires alone?"

"That's quite enough from you Sam Merllotte. Eric has been there for me when no one else was. He has loved me and protected me and has never asked for me to do anything in return. He is my bonded, and not that it's any of your business. I love him. He is MINE." Her chest was heaving and her hands were clutched into fists. Sam was quiet.

"I get it Sook, you're too far gone." he murmured. "Let me know if you need anything." The line went dead, before Sookie could respond.

Sookie looked at the phone and screamed in frustration. She sat on the edge of the bed for a few moments trying to calm herself. When will she get a break? No matter who she chose to date there would be someone that's unhappy. She thought that it was time for them to suck it up because between them and her she'd rather them be unhappy. She'd had enough unhappiness for a lifetime.

Sookie looked around the great room. As well as she could tell everything was the same as she saw in her dream. She turned on the lamp from the stand next to the bed. The light barely reached the far sides of the room, but it was exactly as she saw it. Whats going on with that? Is she psychic? No that couldn't be it. She wasn't seeing the future, she was seeing what was actually there. So what was that? She saw what she saw at her house, because somehow she was able to sense the Were's mind. She had never been able to see so clearly into a Were's mind. Could it be taking Eric's blood again?

She couldn't think strait right now. What she did know was that she had to use the bathroom really badly. She stood up from the bed, then dropped back down in a heap. Her whole body was aching something terrible, and she almost cried out. But she had to go to the bathroom. So she got to her feet again, she gritted her teeth and began making her was slowly around the bed. It was very slow progress. She opened the first door to the left of the room and was happy to find that she found the bathroom on the first try. Her hand scrambled up and down the wall trying to find the light button. When the light was on she was in too much of a rush to appreciate the mother of all bathrooms. She quickly spotted the toilet and rushed to do her business.

When she was done, she made her way to the sink to wash her hands and she could now see that the floor was made of marble. It climbed up the wall where the shower was which was big enough to comfortably seat six people. The glass around the shower was completely see through-she already knew that modesty didn't live here. She could see a bench on the back of the shower, so apparently it was used as a steamer too. She was not surprised to see that in the center of the room was the largest tub she had ever seen, it had to be custom, she thought that eight people could easily fit in there, maybe even ten.

She scooted back out to the bedroom so that she could lay back down. She gingerly sat back down on the bed. She looked over to the other side to see Eric had fallen asleep on his stomach with an arm stretched out towards her. Her heart swelled when she realized that he had fallen asleep holding her. She squeezed her cell phone again to get the time. Five-forty five. Eric would be up in a hour, maybe less. She slowly let herself down on the bed and pulled the covers up. It took her a while but she was able to finally get Eric's arm up so that she could rest it on her body again. The she didn't move. She lay there with her eyes closed, but she didn't go back to sleep. Her mind raced over what this dream place was that she and Eric kept meeting in. Was she really able to change her form or what that just a part of her dream? She didn't think that it was just a part of her dream because She had seen the same things when she and Eric were making love. True, it was still an orb, and she wasn't able to bring it withing herself...but it was there. What about Niall? He was there, and he said it was a dream but why would she bring him in on a dream? More importantly, why did he give her those weapons in her dream? She was sure that she could have created what ever she'd wanted with no problems. She couldn't forget how it felt when she held them. Even if it was a dream, they felt like an extension of herself. They pulsated in her hand.

There was so much for her to think about. She desperately wanted to talk to Niall but she would need to wait until Eric woke, she knew he would have questions too. All of this made her head spin and she flung herself onto her side. She cried out from the pain again. She focused on Eric's lifeless body so that she could calm herself again, then she closed her eyes again. She would not make that mistake again. She felt like she had been run over by a bus, and a train, and a horse and buggy; but she still couldn't keep herself from feeling the excitement that coursed through her when she felt Eric close to waking.

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Hello again everyone. I apologize for the long wait for this chapter. Everything has been a little crazy for me, but now that they are settling I can return my attention to my story. I finally have a beta, and this is her first chapter for me (though she did go over a few of my previous chapters too). I just want to tell her thank you very much for her kind words and help.

I also wanted to restate that we are still at a point where a lot of info is given, but please be patient because it will mellow out pretty quickly. Again if there is anything that is unclear about my story please ask and I will explain anything you wish (except where this story is going).

I want to thank all of you who have supported me. I promise to be a more diligent writer. Please keep the comments coming. With all that being said, please enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Charlaine Harris characters

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Chapter 8

Sookie smiled to herself and settled into Eric, his arms tightened around her. They were aboard Anubis Airline and they were almost to Dallas.

Sookie felt like a new woman. The last few days went in a complete blur. She felt like months had passed instead of days.

Every since their first dream training session, Eric had been working with her on her fighting skill almost obsessively. When they weren't sleeping, eating, or having sex they were training. Even her dreams weren't safe anymore. They trained with different scenarios there and when they woke Eric would want to double check that she was able to do in reality what she was able to do in their dream state.

They found that she had more limitations when she was awake, they both did. Though she could tap into Eric's strength and experience she couldn't maintain it for more than a few minutes. Afterwards she was extremely tired and had to rest. She couldn't call her Sais to her either. Eric bought her a pair of stainless steel Sais so that she could practice in reality but it wasn't the same. She was good with them, but they didn't feel like a natural part of her like the others. Neither Sookie nor Eric could produce the gold and silver power sphere that encased them in their dream.

Sookie thought back to the night Eric woke up from their first training session to find her snuggled next to him, completely unable to move.

"Sookie?" He whispered his voice full of concern. He kissed her temple and nuzzled her neck; the pain coming off of her was tangible.

"Ugh." She groaned. "Don't touch me!" Sookie responded.

Eric pulled back from her neck so he could look into her eyes, and he saw the pain that was etched on her face.

"Sookie, what happened to you while I was asleep?"

"Nothing, I woke up like this. I feel like hell had a chariot race on me." She groaned.

"Drink from me, my blood will heal you." He moved to bite his wrist.

"No." Sookie protested. "I've had too much as it is, just let me lay here. I'll be okay in a few weeks…months…okay, a year tops."

Eric laughed. "Sorry love can't do it." He bit into his wrist and placed it to her lips. "Drink and feel better lover."

Sookie moved her head away from the bloody wrist that was before her, but pain from that slight movement shot through her entire body and she happily latched onto Eric's wrist. With every draw of his blood the pain relinquished its grasp on her body. Eric began to caress her body as she healed herself. Soon all the pain was gone from her, she took one last deep draw and Eric moaned deeply and slipped two fingers into her. She gasped and dropped his wrist. She arched her back to grant his fingers deeper access into her.

Eric's chest rumbled with delight. He moved over her to position himself to enter her. Sookie however, had a different idea. She put her hands on his chest and pushed with all her might. To both her and Eric's surprise, he flew to the side of the bed. He had great instincts though, and he was able to twist in mid air so that he could land on his feet. They stared at each other with confusion and surprise. She should be stronger true but not strong enough to toss a thousand year old vampire to the side like that.

Sookie was frozen, but then her body made its need known. Sookie got to her hands and knees and presented herself to him. She looked over her shoulder at him. "Fuck me!" She commanded.

Eric didn't need to be told twice. He growled with want and triumph of this magnificent being. The fact that she had presented her body to him to mount and commanded him with such ferocity drove him crazy. He slammed into her without further pretense, causing her to cry out his name. With every thrust she cried out to him. His pace was relentless, and he felt her body begin to spasm around his length. This only drove him to stroke her with more abandon. He wrapped one arm around her waist so that he could play with her nub.

This made Sookie come undone and she came hard, screaming out his name and bucking up against him as the shudders ripped though her body.

Unfortunately Sookie had no idea what she unleashed within Eric. He continued his long strokes through her violent release, and then he turned her over onto her back. He made his strokes longer, almost pulling all the way out before pushing back in hard. At the end of each stroke he bucked a little, driving himself that much deeper. Sookie could feel every part of Eric. He braced himself on his forearms so that she wouldn't have to feel all his weight and held her hands.

He kissed her slowly, reverently. He wanted to taste her very essence. He slowed his strokes down, then the brushed over her body as if he was trying to memorize every part of her being. Eric kissed her down her cheek to her neck. Sookie gasped when he nipped that sensitive space at the base of her neck. He continued kissing and licking his was down until he captured her right nipple in his mouth.

"Eric!" she moaned as he raked his fangs over her skin. He began pinching and teasing the other with his left hand. He was setting her body on fire.

Their need and desire bounced off each other and was magnified through the bond. Flashes of gold and silver light began to surround them. Eric raised himself and they locked eyes. Gold and silver lightening began to strike around the room around them. They heard things breaking around them, but neither one could bring themselves to care. The house began to shake around them and protest as it started shaking more violently. Something shattered right above Sookie's head but she was trapped in Eric's eyes. She couldn't look away.

The blue began to fade from Eric's eyes, once they were solid white they began to glow gold. Sookie touched Eric's cheek with her free hand.

"Oh my God Eric." She managed, her voice was barely more than a whisper but she knew he could hear her.

"Sookie!" Eric rasped hoarsely. Sookie's eyes were now glowing solid silver.

That was the last coherent thing that either was able to say. Their bodies began to contract and shake, sending a shudder through them both. Eric began to speed up his rhythm and he began pounding harder into Sookie. Their energies danced over every part of their bodies. They could feel each other's very essence dancing with in them, like the bond, it magnified every sensation. Their very blood danced in their bodies and it pushed them both over the edge. Sookie's hair flashed completely silver and Eric's glowed solid gold. Eric leaned down and bit her nipple; he began to suck Sookie's blood powerfully. It was light and love and eternity all in one. The way Sookie tasted was beyond believability.

He continued to draw from her and the house rumbled ominously. Their gold and silver enclosures exploded around them, and then Eric collapsed on top of her. After a few moments he rolled to the side.

Sookie's body was turned to Jell-O and she couldn't move. Eric pulled her further onto the bed so that she could rest in his arms. The bed groaned and then the mattress fell through the frame onto the floor. Unfortunately the floor couldn't support them either and they fell through. Eric scooped Sookie up and began to levitate. The mattresses and floor fell to the second floor landing in what looked to Sookie to be another bedroom.

Sookie looked into Eric's eyes completely shocked. Eric erupted with laughter as he let them float between the two floors.

"What the hell Eric!" Sookie wailed when she was able to find her voice again.

Dust was everywhere. Eric brought them back into the third level. From what she could see two of the walls were missing. The desk was reduced to splinters. Sookie looked up and she was able to see the stars twinkling above her. She could also identify that big crash above her head, the large mirror next to the bathroom door was gone, and it was just a black hole there. The house groaned ominously again.

"I think that we should get out of here." Eric said, trying not to laugh. He flew through the gaping hole in the roof. "Lover it seems I can't take you anywhere anymore. You're here for barely twenty four hours and my house has been destroyed." He landed on his front yard and set her on her feet.  
"Eric this is not funny." She said shakily. "I didn't even get to look around!" She wailed randomly. Eric burst into laughter as Sookie burst into tears.

Okay, yes it's random. She had no idea why she was crying but she couldn't stop herself all the same. She was mortified that they had destroyed Eric's house; but more than that she was terrified that they were capable of doing it in the first place. She was terrified of the power that seemed to be buried within them both. The tears flowed down her cheek and onto Eric's bare chest as he held her close.

"Sookie why are you crying?" he asked as he tried to sober up.

"Eric, your eyes glowed gold and the next thing I know your house was destroyed!"

Eric held her tighter in his arms. "Don't worry lover, I was never really fond of that house anyway."

Sookie laughed and leaned into his embrace. She tried to remind herself that she could handle anything with Eric by her side.

"We are stronger." Eric murmured. "Can you push me away again?"

Sookie pushed against Eric with all her might, and even with all the blood she had taken from Eric she only made him pivot one step back. It was like pushing against a brick wall.

"Interesting." He said, and then turned back to the house. "Stay here for a minute Sookie. I will be right back."

"Eric no." Sookie said. She tried to sound hard and with authority (Eric smirked). "That place is about to collapse. You'll get hurt."

As if punctuating her point a loud crack broke the silence and half of the roof disappeared in a cloud of dust.

"I'll be fine lover." Eric assured. "Or do you not care about traveling completely naked? I assure you that I don't mind, it will make our flight a little more interesting." He gave her a very Eric smile wagging his eyebrows.

In the moment Sookie hesitated Eric disappeared, she never could tell Eric anything. Sookie could hear something else collapse inside the house and she cried out in fear. Why oh why did she let him go back in there? Now she was standing nude in the middle of nowhere praying that her….

Her…what exactly? What was he to her exactly? He was her lover (the best one she's ever had), but he was so much more than that. He was her friend, her safe harbor, her warrior and defender, her soul mate. Soul mate? Did she just think that? Well somehow boyfriend just didn't cut it. He wasn't her husband…technically, but they were already bound closer than any husband and wife could possibly be. Still, he hasn't asked her so he wasn't her fiancé. So what was he? Her all, her everything, her reason…that could get a little long winded when she explained it to others.

'I am all of those, but I especially love that term 'soul mate'. It has a nice ring to it.'

'Are you okay?' she asked feeling stupid that she'd forget they could communicate with each other.

'Don't feel bad. I'm fine. I wasn't able to get to the closet without causing another collapse but I was able to get something to cover us at least.'

'I don't care. Just come back.'

'Already on my way lover. And as to what you should call me, bonded implies all those things. If you want to get married, we can. I would love to see you walk down the aisle.'

Sookie's heart skipped in her chest. 'We can talk about that later. Now is not the time.' She saw lights come from around the far side of what used to be a house, but the lights were too far off the ground to be his corvette. Eric pulled up next to her in a back SUV, Navigator (how appropriate).

"You owe me a car and a house by the way lover." Eric joked, smiling at her innocently.

"I think that I had a little help with that Mr. Northman." Sookie smiled despite herself. She loved that he had the ability to dispel her anxieties. She opened the passenger door to see a top to a pajama set sitting on the seat. She saw that Eric already had on the matching bottoms.

"I never figured you for the matching pajama type." Sookie chuckled. "How PG of you."

Eric laughed with her. "I'm not, but you never know. Pam bought these for me when she first saw my interest in you. They were a joke because you were pure and wholesome. And pure and wholesome women always sleep fully clothed; she suggested that I get used to it." Sookie rolled her eyes, that Pam. "Aren't you glad I kept them?"

"Most definitely." She said without hesitation, a breeze just hit her and she hopped into the front seat, and then pulled the sleep shirt over her head. "By the way, what happened to the corvette?"

"The garage collapsed on top of it. It's not drivable." Sookie gasped. "Don't worry about it lover, it was time for me to upgrade anyway."

"If that one was in the garage, where was this one?" Sookie asked trying to sound calm and collected…and failing miserably.

"I backed this one out of the garage, hoping that I could get you to fall in love with it so that we could get rid of that poor excuse of metal that you call a car."

"There's nothing wrong with my car, thank you very much." She crossed her arms. "You can't just replace what you don't like in my life."

"This one can protect you." He stated, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Sure it can." Sookie rolled her eyes. "Just because it's new doesn't mean that it's better."

"It's bullet proof." He injected before she could continue, he knew better then to let her get into a rhythm. "It also has a panic button for you." He motioned to a red button on the console, it had a clear plastic casing around it to prevent accidental pressing. "I had it altered so that while you are in it, it can keep you safe. The frame has been reinforced and the tires are made to keep rolling even after they have been punctured. There are weapons placed throughout too. There is a gun and a stake in the glove box, more in the false back of both these front seats and the middle row. In the very back row, you will have access to a rifle that's hidden in the seat along with a silver chain, and both silver and wooden stakes. All the guns have silver bullets. They are modified so that when they penetrate the skin liquid silver will release from the tip. Like I said, this car can protect you."

Sookie sat completely dumbfounded as she looked at Eric. "What have you done?" she asked. She wasn't sure if he knew what she meant but she was having a little trouble articulating at the moment.

They had been flying through town. Sookie had no idea where she was. Eric stopped at a red light and he locked her in his gaze, she had to understand.

"I will not lose you Sookie. I will do whatever is in my power to keep that from happening. This is in my power." The light had turned green but Eric didn't move, the streets were dead (ha ha). "I respect that you want to be your own person, make your own decisions, live the way you choose. All that is fine, but when it comes to your safety there is no room for negotiation. You are my life. If you died, it would kill me too; and I have lived too long and come too far to be undone with something that's completely preventable."

Tears were running down her face. She knew exactly what he meant. If Eric died, she didn't know how she would meet the next day. It was completely understandable, but that wasn't the problem. She just really hated decisions being made without her. How is she supposed to know if she is or isn't supposed to do something until after the fact? If that was to be the case how could she keep herself safe if she doesn't know about safeguards, or the reasons behind them? She is not a child and to not have a hand in her own life, her own safety enraged her. Is she really so unreasonable that everyone thinks a logical discussion would be lost on her? Is she that stupid?

"No!" Eric growled as he heard her thoughts swirl in her head. "Never think that again!"

"What am I supposed to think then? This is how I am treated, how else am I to interpret it?"

"I can't always explain everything on the spot; sometimes you are just going to have to trust that I am doing what's best for you."

"I understand that. I trust you with my life. But if things are never explained to me and I am left to make decisions without all the needed info, then how can I be sure that I am not walking myself directly into danger?"

They regarded each other for a while. Eric knew he couldn't get past her question. He hated that.

Sookie knew that she would not understand everything all the time at every moment, but she could accept that if someone at some point would say something. She was trying to be less stubborn; she was trying to think in terms of 'we' instead of 'I'. She knew that Eric was right about the car and she would have to accept the Navigator. She hated that.

They smiled at the others thoughts and the tension left the cab.

"Fine." Eric said.

"Fine." Sookie replied.

Eric began driving again, he was just happy that Sookie would accept the car. Sookie was just ecstatic that she had finally beaten Eric in an argument. She wished that she had a camera because no one was going to believe this.

"Where are we going anyway?" Sookie asked after a few moments of silent preening (Eric was rolling his eyes at her).

"Pam's house."

"But won't she be at Fangtasia?" They were further into Shreveport, but she still had no idea where.

"You're right, Fangtasia it is." Eric said as he made a sudden sharp turn to the right.

Slowly things became more familiar to her, and then they pulled into Fangtasia. They went in through the back and went straight to Eric's office. Pam was sitting at the desk clad in black leather-she was on duty tonight. She looked up from her papers when they entered. The look on her face was priceless.

***************************************

Sookie couldn't help but laugh at the memory. Eric was smiling but Pam and Bill were looking at her like she was out of her mind, which only made her laugh harder.

She hadn't seen anything so funny since Pam and Bill volunteered to help Sookie train (for volunteer read only two vamp in a select group that were not afraid of meeting their final death should an accident happen). Neither Pam nor Bill had ever been a match for Eric in battle, when Sookie drew on Eric's strength they couldn't take her separately either. However, when Sookie used only her natural-Viking blood amplified-skills they only had to double-team her to win; but that was only because none of them was actually trying to kill the other. When Sookie had first forced Bill's surrender-her sword at his neck-both he and Pam wore looks exactly like what they were wearing now.

Sookie loved her sword very much. She wasn't surprised to find that the sword Eric used in their dream realm was an actual sword. She wasn't even surprised when he presented her with a replica that was made specifically for her (after all he bought her Sais to practice with). What got her was the fact that he was able to keep the gift a secret. When it comes to gifts Eric could hardly contain himself; especially with gifts he got for Sookie. He loved that he was still able to surprise her.

Through their training, they learned that they could block their thoughts from each other. They also learned that though Sookie can hear other vampires, she really had to focus on a specific person. Reading a vampire's mind was not easy. Eric however, could easily read the vampire thoughts that flowed through Sookie. They figured that it was because he was a vampire himself, but it didn't matter if it was one vamp or a group.

Eric didn't really care that Sookie could hear his every thought. He was a blunt man, and he never thought anything he wasn't willing to say to her out loud. For him it was more than that, he _liked_ not having any secrets from her. It was freeing because he rarely had to explain himself anymore, something he has always found irritating. She would just see how she arrived at a particular place.

Tears rolled down Sookie's cheeks as she tried, unsuccessfully, to contain herself.

"Shh, lover calm down." Eric said as he rubbed her arms soothingly, but that only made her horny on top of the levity she was already feeling. He really should know better than to rub against her, even if it is just her arms.

She tried to focus on anything that was nonsexual and had nothing to do with Bill or Pam. She was finally able to calm herself and she laid her head back on Eric's shoulder. When the 'Crazy Sookie Show' was over, Bill and Pam went back to their chess game.

Sookie began going over all the movements that she'd learned. They were second nature to her now. Once she began to open herself to Eric both in and out of their dream realm they were able to move as one. She could see them fighting together during training and she could appreciate how fluid their movements were together. They didn't have to see where the other was or what they were doing, and they didn't have to speak. They truly moved as one whether Sookie drew on Eric's strength or not. Since whenever Sookie drew on Eric's strength it drained her, they'd decided to make that a last resort. Though she wasn't hot for the idea, Sookie agreed to take a regular dose of Eric's blood so that she would be stronger and faster. She still wasn't as strong as a vampire but at least now she could effectively defend herself.

As far as they had come she couldn't help but think about the things that eluded her. Like the answers she sought from Niall. When she and Eric called him he popped into Eric's office, but he could have stayed away for all the answers they got. Everything he said was either something they more or less knew or just plain evasive.

"Hello great-granddaughter, you look beautiful." He greeted her with a kiss to her cheek and a nod to Eric.

"Thank you great-grandfather, it's so good to see you too." Sookie replied. She was suddenly very glad that she was able to change out of the pajama top and have on some actual clothes. Apparently Eric had bought a few simple things for her that he kept in the closet behind his desk with his spare clothes. She was too grateful to ask questions as to why.

"I know that you have questions for me, especially after the gift I gave you. I will tell you as much as I can, but I may not be able to tell you all you wish to know. I am bound."

"So that wasn't just a dream? You were actually there?" Sookie couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing just yet. One thing is for sure, she was glad that she and Eric hadn't had sex that time.

'Speak for yourself.' Eric's voice chimed in. She smiled, but otherwise disregarded his comment.

"Yes, I was actually there. I presented you with a pair of silver Sais that were made especially for you."

"By whom?" was her natural question.

"I cannot tell you." Niall natural answer to her (at least in Sookie's mind), but he tried to explain as much as he could. "I am bound by my word."

"That's convenient." Eric spoke up.

"I know it's frustrating but I assure you that it will be revealed when both of you are ready."

"What does that mean? Can you stop being so cryptic and give me a straight answer?" She asked, as she got irritated.

"I am not trying to be cryptic. It means that you are on the right track. You both need to keep training as one, it is imperative."

They stood in silence. Sookie was very aggravated by the lack of answers but it wasn't like she could say anything. He's still her great-grandfather and it's not as if she could shake the answers out of him. She took a deep breath and moved on to another question that had been bugging her.

"What did you mean when you said that I made a good fairy? Am I not human anymore? I still feel like me."

"Of course you are still human. All I can say is that your fae heritage is a basic building block of your genes; they have a direct say-so in the way you look. This is why you looked the way you did in your dream."

"But you won't tell me about why I changed to begin with? Why I glow silver and Eric glows gold? Why we almost destroyed my house and literally demolished Eric's?" She was rambling like she did when she was upset and Eric sent calm through the bond.

"Let us get to the point. Are you or are you not going to tell us what is going on with us?" Eric said before Niall had a chance to answer Sookie. Though Eric's voice was calm, it was cold and his accent was becoming more apparent. He began dropping the contractions like he does when he's upset.

Niall didn't regard Eric but focused on Sookie. "I'm sorry I can't be of more use to you, sweet seraphim." Sookie quirked her head a little, that was a new name. "All I can say is that what's going on with the two of you is able to be because of your bond. It's quite strong, and quite unlike any other one that has existed. What's happening is good. You need to continue working on your bond, it will make everything else easier to deal with."

Sookie huffed and clenched her fists in frustration. "Are you going to ever treat me like an adult?" she asked hurt. She was so tired of not being in control of her own life. She didn't like being the last one to know vital things about herself, and then be told it's for her own good. It hurt even more that these were the people closest to her.

Niall winced at the pain in her voice. "It's not about treating you as a child or as an adult. I am bound. You are blessed. When you are ready you will be able to call the power and weapons that you wield in the dream realm. I know you are not happy with me but please take my advice anyway." He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand, letting it linger. Sookie let out a deep breath then leaned her head into her great-grandfathers touch. "I really do love you, you know. I know that you don't like to feel as if others are controlling what's going on with you, but please trust in me. Trust when I stress how important it is that you two work together on this bond, it is truly something remarkable. Love is the key."

A tear dropped down Sookie's face. She nodded. Niall kissed her lightly on her forehead, and then disappeared.

Sookie trusted Niall, and she knew that he would never hurt her; but in the back of her mind she was starting to suspect that the reason he refused to ever give her a straight answer was because he's never given anyone a straight answer. She was beginning to think that his head might explode if he actually tried.

"Please calm down." Eric murmured, bringing her back to reality. "You're supposed to be trying to be calm and relaxed, remember?"

'Oh yes, because it's so easy to relax with impending death or possible enslavement on the horizon.' She thought sarcastically.

Eric kissed her temple lightly. 'Please try,' he asked. 'For me?'

"Relax," Sookie sighed. "Right." She tried to clear her mind. She shifted her focus to Bill and Pam's chess game. They were playing on a collapsible table across from the couch that she and Eric shared.

At the beginning of the flight Pam set the game up so that she could teach Sookie how to play. The pieces were made of glass, one crystal clear, one frosted, and the board was checkered between the two. This was part of the reason Sookie agreed to play; she thought the whole thing was so beautiful. However, after she lost spectacularly five times to Pam, she gave up. Eric was willing to help her, but Sookie didn't want to cheat.

Eric noticed her attention and tried to explain more about the game. "Try to think of it as an actual war instead of a game. With a game none of the pieces have any weight, they mean nothing, so you are less careful with the moves that you make. In an actual war, every piece has a soul and a life.

"You of course would be the most valuable piece, the queen. I would be king. Pam and Bill would be our knights." Sookie giggled as she pictured Bill and Pam dressed in metal suits. Eric smiled, but continued. "Think of all the other major pieces as the other supes that have pledged loyalty and protection to you. The pawns would be all those that back them up.

"Another king and queen have heard of you and your unique abilities. They want you for their own personal use, and will do anything to meet that end. It's like when you fight, you can't just defend; you have to attack too. Anyway me, Bill, Pam and the rest of our people are hell bent on protecting you because you are the object of desire-making you the object of victory."

"Yes, like any other Tuesday." Pam chimed in. Sookie laughed but Eric ignored her.

"Because you mean victory, that means that everyone else is expendable. We all have only two jobs: protect you, and kill everyone else."

"Again, like any other Tuesday." Pam interrupted again. Eric glared at her but she just smiled angelically at him. Sookie couldn't help but laugh at both of them, and even Bill cracked a smile.

"You need to start thinking on a bigger scale. You have to take into account how your opponents think and determine what they are capable of. In a war you have to think beyond what you want, and keep in mind the original goal. You have to be proactive and set traps, create ambushes, maneuver them into positions that benefit you.

"You need to keep in mind the greater good. The soldiers can die for the generals, the generals can die for the king and queen, and the king can die for the queen."

The way he said this so simply disturbed Sookie. "What is the point in so many dying for one? Where is the good in that? Is the queen's life worth so many?" she asked as she looked at Eric; but he wasn't the one who answered.

"Yes." Pam said simply. "The queen is good and selfless. She continuously gives herself to help others. Everyone sees her potential for good and her ability to bridge gaps. This is why they all fight."

Sookie was stunned at Pam's speech. Though she had considered Pam a friend she didn't realize how highly Pam thought of her. As touched and surprised as she was, Sookie pressed forward with her argument, she had a point to make.

"But she is still no better than those around her." She challenged. "She just does the best she can with what she has; and if she can help a few people along the way, so be it. She likes to help. She doesn't do it to get anyone to die for her. She does it because she was raised to believe that you are your brother's keeper, and if you have the ability to help someone then you should."

"And that right there is the reason so many are willing to give their life for hers." Bill finally spoke up. "To find a soul like that is truly rare. It is because she is willing to give everything and ask nothing in return, that almost everyone she's ever met will give everything for her freely. If she were taken and broken or killed, how long would the world have to wait for another soul that's so special that she can bring together different species, and all walks of life? She is precious. She is valued. She is worthy of defending to the death."

Sookie was truly speechless. She couldn't remember the last time she heard Bill speak so much. She locked eyes with him, then Pam, and finally Eric. She could tell that they were all in complete agreement. Tears began to fall from her eyes. She couldn't respond because their words had rendered all her points' moot. She realized that she had been undervaluing her worth. She never thought that she was this important to those around her. She was truly touched.

In the end she didn't have to say anything because the pilot's voice sounded over the intercom, telling them that they were about to land.

They went from the airport straight to the hotel. Eric checked them in and handed out the keys. Bill and Pam would be across from Eric and Sookie. They were on a tight schedule so they all went straight up to their rooms to change.

They had an informal meeting with Stan, and they had to be there in just over an hour. Tonight would be casual. Eric wanted to talk with Stan to feel out what Stan knows.

"Tell me this is going to work." Sookie said as they changed clothes.

"Don't worry lover, this will work." Eric assured her.

"Stan won't be our attacker and we won't die here in Dallas."

"We'll learn if Stan is with us or against us. We won't die here in Dallas." Eric pulled Sookie into his arms and kissed her on the temple.

"Or beaten up?" She added when she remembered the last time she and Eric was alone in this hotel."

Eric laughed lightly. "I think you've had enough of my blood and training to pretty much guarantee that you could kick anyone's ass that comes too close to you."

Sookie nodded, trying to let Eric's words wash the fear away from her.

"I will always protect you Sookie." He murmured in her ear, making her shiver.

"I will protect you too. You are my world Eric Northman." She smiled up at him.

Eric kissed her tenderly. It was full of love and adoration, but he pulled back before Sookie could succumb to tears and smiled at her. He brushed his fingers from her temple to her collarbone and back again, before he cupped her cheek in his hand.

Sookie leaned into his touch. She could feel their bond vibrate all around them. She felt completely safe and assured.

"Come on." She said, forcing herself to take a step back from him. She grabbed his hand and led him to the door. "Let's go NOT get killed in Dallas!"

Eric laughed, and then they were out the door.

TBC

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A/N: Okay, I know that this was just posted but I wanted to answer a few questions. First of all when Eric and Sookie destroy Erics house, it is a flashback. This chapter starts off with them already on a plane to Dallas. They destroyed the house because they can't control their new found power and it can get a little destructive. If you want to imagine what Eric's house did look like just think about the house in the movie Father Of The Bride. If there are any other questions, just let me know and I will post an explanation. Thanks again guys.


	9. Chapter 9

Okay everyone, here is the next chaper for your pleasure. I have been working a lot so I would like to send another thanks to my beta for picking up the slack and giving all that extra support. As always I will be more than happy to explain anything thats needed. We are getting dangerously close to ground zero, and almost all will be revealed.

Also thanks to all those who have sent comments and pm's, your words motivate me to keep writing instead of sleeping (it's over rated anyway). LOL. But honestly, I really do appreciate them, so please keep them coming.

Enough talking. Please enjoy.

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CHAPTER 9

They were all changed and back in the lobby within thirty minutes. They donned dressy but casual outfits, after all, Stan was king now and though he said to dress casual, they still had to show respect for his position.

Pam was wearing a black pencil skirt with a blue button down shirt that was tucked in and matching heels. Her hair hung straight with a little curl at the tips.

Bill had on kaki dress pants with a navy blue shirt that was buttoned all the way up. Sookie walked over to him and unbuttoned the top button.

"You should loosen up Bill." She smiled before stepping back to Eric's side. He just nodded once in return.

Eric was looking sexy in navy dress pants with a blue pin stripe shirt. He wore no tie and the top two buttons were left open. His golden locks hung loose, framing his face.

All three of them complimented each other, without looking matchy. Sookie however stood out from the rest of them. She put on a striking yellow strapless dress. There was a large navy bow that wrapped around her just below her breasts, and below the bow thin navy pinstripes broke up the yellow. She decided to go with a pair of yellow sling back heels. They were high enough to draw attention to her amazing legs, but not unreasonable enough that she couldn't walk comfortably.

Bill, Pam, and Eric all looked great but they would fade into the background (as much as Eric ever can) as Sookie drew the spotlight. This was intentional; because Sookie was the reason for the trip Eric figured that all eyes would naturally be on her. The rest of them would be able to move around freely without distracting anyone.

Sookie would be introduced to leaders and other important vampires. She would be able to read them and Eric would be able to position Bill and Pam as needed. It was decided that Sookie was to never be alone; this would be Eric's primary concern.

Eric was proven right in his dress instincts. They were standing in the lobby all of a minute when Stan's rep walked in. His eyes acknowledged and dismissed Bill and Pam, they lingered longer on Eric (who's eyes wouldn't?), but they were inexplicably pulled to Sookie. He drank her in slowly.

Sookie found this vampire completely un-extraordinary… and a little bit creepy. He was average height and build, he had black hair that was cropped short, brown eyes, and was dressed completely in black. It was simple but she could tell that they were of high quality. There was nothing striking about him at all. He wasn't ugly, but he wasn't beautiful either. She thought that he would be easily forgotten as soon as he was out of sight. For that reason, Sookie began to memorize his every feature (she could feel Eric's approval at her assessment). With Stan being Mr. Disguise, she could see why he would love to employ a vampire like this…Jozarius.

"Northman." Joe said as a statement instead of a question. His eyes were still on Sookie-hungry. Eric was trying to control his anger and he just nodded in acknowledgement. "I am Joe (of course), the king's assistant. I am here to escort you to his highness."

Sookie had to look at the floor because she couldn't contain her smile. She just barely managed to stifle a giggle. Eric wrapped his arm around her waist and sent her calm. He nodded again and they would follow Joe to a black limo that was waiting in front of the hotel.

'Why doesn't he sit back here with us?' Sookie asked Eric. Last time when she was here with Bill their escort didn't sit in the back either but she was driving, and it was just a car.

'He wants to give us the allusion of being alone.' Eric answered. 'How are you feeling?'

'Nervous.' She admitted.

Another burst of calm came through the bond. 'Don't be, you will be great.'

She smiled and took solace in his calm; it was balm on her fraying nerves.

'There should be no danger. We are only here to gather information, nothing else.'

'Yes but when does anything ever go according to plan?'

'That's why we have back up plans.' He reminded. 'I think you should drop your shields so that it won't be such a shock when we get there. You should prepare yourself now.'

Sookie sighed and closed her eyes, then dropped her shields. She heard the hum of the three other vampire minds, and the shifter driver. It still amazed Sookie that Eric's mind didn't hum like others. He was just there; his mind was like her own.

'I think we should tell Pam and Bill about the mind reading.' Eric thought.

'No.' Sookie said before he could continue. She didn't want anyone to know about this little development. She didn't think that Pam or Bill would hurt her, but why give them temptation?

'We wont tell them the whole truth, Sookie; just that you could hear their thoughts if they think directly at you. They will protect you Sookie.' Eric said. 'You know that you have nothing to fear from them. Trust me Sookie.'

Of course she knew he was right, but that didn't make it any easier to break a habit that has kept her alive so long. She nodded. She was glad that Joe didn't sit in the back with them. She didn't know how well she could contain herself, and she didn't want her face to give them away.

Eric felt her unease and sent her calm, he wanted to distract her for a second while he rethought the words he would use with Pam and Bill. 'What are they thinking?' he asked. Sookie focused on the thoughts buzzing through her head.

'Pam is excited to see Stan because he's her type. She's thinking about the fun they could have.' Eric smirked. 'Bill hates me sitting by your side. He's trying to think of a gesture big enough that will prove that he is truly the better mate for me.'

Rage flowed through the bond and Sookie quickly threw up her shields to deflect it. 'Stop, Eric. Calm down. He's still grieving our relationship. He doesn't know how to get over it.'

'I don't care. It is only your favor that keeps his head attached to his body.'

'Would you be able to get over me so easily?' Sookie asked. She didn't like how cold he could be towards Bill. From Bill's view, Eric had everything because he had her. Bill didn't have anything; nothing felt as good as he thought it would if she was with him again.

'It's not the same; we are bonded. I couldn't survive without you.' He was still mad but now Sookie also felt a pang of hurt at the mere suggestion of him possibly losing her.

'I'm not going anywhere.' She assured him, sending as much love as she could through the bond. 'I need you to survive. I'm not bonded to Bill but I did love him and we did swap blood a couple times. We are tied also, and he's been holding onto that. It's dulled quite a bit, but he won't allow himself to completely loose it.'

Eric exhaled loudly and unnecessarily. 'You are too forgiving of him. I don't like it. You shouldn't be so focused on your past.'

'And you shouldn't let it get under your skin. He's my friend now, and I can forgive what he's done to me in the past. After all if it hadn't happened, we would never be where we are now…together. I am so happy with you, how could I not want that same happiness for my friend?'

'You don't get this worked up over Pam.' He pointed out.

'True, but Pam isn't miserable. She's in a good place. Bill is in pain.'

'We should tell them now.' Eric said, effectively changing the subject.

He cleared his throat. Pam put away her cell phone that she was texting on and Bill stopped staring out the window. They both focused on Eric.

Eric didn't speak aloud to them. Sookie saw that he didn't want the vamp and the Were in the front seat to overhear. There may even be a listening device of some kind, and this was too important to take a chance with.

Sometimes it still amazed Sookie how a vampire as old as Eric could be so modern. She didn't listen as Eric explained the situation to his subordinates. She didn't want to hear it but she did open her mind completely so that Eric could hear their reaction. She was too busy analyzing Eric.

He was by no means a computer geek, but he loved the Internet and he kept up with the latest technologies. After the first time they were in Dallas, where a listening device was used to spy, Eric admitted to researching human spy equipment. Now he kept up with the latest spy gadgets; he never wanted to be caught off guard again. He was a big supporter of learning from mistakes, even if they weren't his.

'Well, well, well now; isn't this interesting. Can you hear me Sookie?' Pam chimed in.

Sookie looked at her and nodded.

'I thought that this might happen if you had enough of Eric's blood. Can you project?'

Sookie shrugged.

Pam said 'Try,' at the same time Bill looked at her and said 'I love you Sookie.'

Sookie shifted her gaze from Pam to Bill and nodded once to acknowledge that she had heard him. Then she closed her eyes and leaned her head on Eric's shoulder-who obligingly wrapped his arms around her.

They stayed like that the rest of the trip. Pam was thinking that she knew Eric was keeping something from her; she just didn't realize that it was this good. She started thinking about other ways Sookie might evolve as the bond matured. She was already able to draw on Eric's instincts and strength during battle…

Bill started a silent stream of images directed at Sookie: their first meeting, their first kiss, their first time together. The second time she drank his blood and the sex that followed. The night she ran to the cemetery to tell him that his friends were dead. They had wild muddy sex. He also played their hardcore reunion after the football game.

She let everything flow though her. She refused to let tears fall from her eyes at the harassing images. Instead she focused on channeling all the thoughts through her. She learned on her first outing to Fangtasia, after their re-bonding, that vampire minds were harder to block out. It was easier to let them flow through her. She still had to concentrate, but not nearly as hard.

Eric was seething from the images Bill was sending. She could either block Bills thoughts, or the thoughts that she heard from Eric; but she wasn't practiced or strong enough to do both.

"Will you stop being such an asshole?!" Sookie snarled at Bill as he replayed their reunion after the football game for the third time. This was one of his favorites. "You are not helping your case."

She was trying to calm herself. The block she was using to block Eric's rage was failing. She was trying to maintain but it was becoming too much. Eric's rage, Bill's self-deprecation, Pam's amusement, Joe and the drivers' wonderings of what caused my outburst.

"Eric, please calm down. I can't handle all this." Sookie's voice was desperate; she was coming dangerously close to being pulled under the current of Eric's rage.

Eric started stroking Sookie's hair trying to calm himself, and slowly Sookie was pulled back from the edge. She didn't know what would happen in this small space if she lost control. Eric began to project calm to her again and she was able to prepare her mind again.

"We are here." Eric said, his voice still a little too cold for comfort.

Sookie looked out both windows but couldn't see anything but a lawn-which seemed never ending. After a few more minutes the car curved to the left and a large fountain appeared. It was a lion standing on his hind legs, playing with what seemed to be the world with his front paws.

Joe opened Sookie's door and offered her his hand. She hesitated for a moment then accepted and he pulled her gently from the limo.

She gasped as she looked around. She knew that there weren't any castles in Texas, but this was as close as one could get. This was the most beautiful thing that she had ever seen. It was like the White House…on steroids. It was four stories tall and snowy white. There were large pillars in front, but that is where the similarities ended. On either end of the building was an extra wing that came out, making the building a U shape. Large shrubs hugged the building and there were several paths that lead to the front. Massive oaks were sporadically placed all around and the drive was lined with pearly white flowers.

She was so taken aback that she didn't realize that she still held Joe's hand until he started making small circles on the back of her hand. Sookie snapped her gaze back to Joe, who just looked at her hungrily. She dropped her hand from his and Eric wrapped his arm around her, giving Joe a warning growl.

Joe reassessed Eric again. 'That was stupid Joe.' He told himself. 'You can't just anger a vampire as old as him and get away with it. Although Stan could have prepared me better. He just said that she was very agreeable, but that's like saying the sky is big.' Joe's gaze returned to Sookie. 'There's something about her. She is unbelievable, though I can't put my finger on it. I think I'll find out if she's happy with the Viking.'

Pam and Bill stood behind Sookie, but Joe didn't glance at them. He was not a new vampire but he wasn't as old as Pam…maybe Bill, she couldn't narrow it down.

"This way please." Joe said with a small smile to Sookie. 'Bide your time Joe. Remember that the Master is fond of her. You have to be smart, you cannot risk his wrath.' He turned on his heels and walked towards the door.

Eric pulled Sookie forward and let Pam and Bill trail behind them. 'Your fan club is getting too big to suit my tastes.' Eric commented.

'Says the guy with fangbangers constantly drooling over him.' Sookie shot back. Eric smirked but then decided to let it go.

Sookie began counting the vampire presences within. Thirty-seven. Twenty-three on the inside and fourteen within range on the grounds. There were two shifters, one in the house and one making its way towards the side of the house. There were even more human minds inside, at least thirty; and another twenty or so moving around out back.

She let the vampire thoughts flow through her. It took a lot of energy to separate and concentrate on individual vampire minds (especially vampires she wasn't familiar with), so she let Eric do it. Sookie allowed them to become background noise for her. The human minds were all focused on different things. Some were thinking about the coming party, some were thinking about where they were supposed to be putting things. Some were hoping that things were set correctly (apparently there were some new people on staff); and then some were hoping to "accidentally" bump into a vampire tonight, they might not get a chance to fraternize tomorrow night.

She kept her mind open but moved onto the two Weres that she sensed. The driver, Paul, was pulling in front of a garage. He didn't want to actually pull in because he knew that he would have to take them back to the hotel. He was hoping that he wouldn't need to be transporting anyone tomorrow, he would like to ask out that cute Were from the motorcycle specialty shop.

She smiled, them moved to the other Were mind. He was answering questions and giving orders. She didn't have to dip long to know whose mind she was in.

Sookie stopped mid stride, but they were already at the door. Her tense smile sprang into place.

'What?' Eric asked, tensing for danger. Bill and Pam did the same.

Joe opened the door and there in the entry way stood Quinn. His back was to the door but Sookie would know him anywhere. He was talking to someone though she couldn't tell who, but she did know when he registered her presence when he stiffened. He stopped talking-mid sentence-and turned around.

Sookie's smile strained even wider and she gripped Eric's hand even tighter. Eric sent calm through the bond. She knew she would have to face her ex's sooner or later, but seeing Bill was enough for her. She hadn't realized that she's been banking on not having to see Quinn for a long while.

They were all frozen in the doorway, and the tension could be cut with a knife. Joe gazed back and forth between Quinn and Sookie. She felt the curiosity that rumbled through his head even though his face was quite blank. She couldn't think on it. With Quinn in front of her, Eric beside her, and Bill behind her, she was trying to figure out how to disappear. Didn't work, the one time she wished she was a full-blooded fairy….

"Hey bighead, I was talking to you!" A voice said behind Quinn, clearly annoyed.

Quinn ignored her. "Hey babe," his voice rumbled. "It's so good to see you. I have been thinking that if we were meant to be we would somehow manage to run into each other, and here we are. It must be fate." His eyes were locked on her face, drinking it in slowly. Sookie's smile got bigger; he was only half kidding.

"Or not." Eric said coldly.

For the first time Quinn's eyes traveled down the rest of her body. His eyes widened when he saw Sookie's death grip on Eric's hand.

"What?" 'What the hell!' "You're with Eric now?" he asked incredulously. Sookie winced, she didn't like the way he said Eric's name.

"What?!" said the now belligerent voice from behind Quinn. Sookie placed it just as Frannie stepped from behind Quinn's back.

Sookie was glad to have someone else to look at besides Quinn…even if it was Frannie. Her face was so tight that she was sure it would crack.

Frannie glared at her and noted her hand in Eric's. "My brothers not good enough for you, but you will date a dead guy?"

"Who I do or don't date is none of your business Frannie; we've had this discussion before. Nothing has changed." Sookie replied in her brightest voice.

"Yeah, except the fact that you seem to be determined to be a fucking fangbanger!"

Eric growled harshly, but Frannie's thoughts were too jumbled with anger to register the warning; she had tunnel vision, all she could see was Sookie. Besides, with Quinn behind her, Frannie felt fearless.

Eric's rage was streaming into Sookie and she was trying to suppress her own. The nervous smile faded from her face.

"You will not speak to me like that ever again Frannie. I have been nothing but patient with you, but you need to get over yourself."

"Oh so what, I'm supposed to bow down and kiss your ass just because you whored yourself out to the Sheriff of Area 5? Who the hell do you think you are?" She spat. She then stepped directly in front of Sookie and squared her shoulders, drawing herself up to her full height.

"I am Sookie Stackhouse, and you'd better remember that." Her voice was cold and deadly. "We will not have this talk ever again. You need to grow up. Big brother will not always be there to protect you."

"Are you threatening me? Because if you are, I can tell you right now that I'm not the one."

"And I am tired. Quinn, either you remove your beloved sister or I will." Sookie warned. The old Sookie would have been hurt that Quinn would let his sister treat her so badly even if it didn't work out between them. The old Sookie would have been trying to side step Frannie to avoid a fight. But she had grown, and she no longer cared. She had a man who would stand up for her, and he was everything she could want and more.

"Back off Frannie." He ordered. "Now."

Frannie didn't move. Sookie could hear the pleasure she had in knowing that Sookie was afraid of her. She had hurt her brother and Frannie wanted to make her pay. "This isn't over you stupid bitch." She warned in what was supposed to be a dangerous voice.

Sookie couldn't contain herself anymore and she slapped Frannie, who flew about three feet to the side before landing hard on the floor. She stared at Sookie in complete surprise.

Quinn looked like he'd just entered the twilight zone. His mouth gaped open; catching flies is what Gran called it.

"Quinn," Sookie started, but Frannie chose that moment to launch herself at Sookie.

'Stop Eric!' she yelled silently. His anger was getting the best of him. He was ready to kill Frannie, and then Quinn just for assurance.

Frannie needed a wake up call-one that wouldn't kill her. She needed to realize that she was going to get hurt or killed if she didn't settle down. Quinn was ready to fight and die for her. If she didn't care about herself, then she needed to respect what position it put Quinn in. Honestly, she should know better after watching all the trouble their mom caused both her and Quinn.

Frannie was only half shifter, so she was stronger and faster then a normal human. As she flung herself at Sookie, Quinn reached out to catch her but was just a moment too late.

To Sookie, Frannie was traveling in slow motion. Twenty different ways to hurt and subdue Frannie battled for dominance in Sookie's mind. Eric had taught her well.

Frannie was fast, but Sookie was faster and her hand closed easily around Frannie's throat. Sookie lifted her off the ground. Quinn moved forward to protect his sister but Eric, Bill, and Pam were suddenly blocking his path.

"And that right there is the reason we are no longer together Quinn." She said. "Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt her." Frannie was clawing at Sookie's arm but it was futile.

"Now that I have your attention Frannie, let me tell you something. Quinn is a good man, and he has sacrificed everything, including our relationship for you and your mother. There is no one he holds higher than y'all. I was happy with him. We were happy, but he couldn't put me first. I could understand that, but I couldn't sell myself short. I deserve that much.

"He would fight and die for you Frannie. So remember that the next time you want to pop off at the mouth at someone. You know how quickly things change in the supe world, just because someone used to be harmless or weak doesn't mean that is still true. You never know who you're talking to." Frannie was turning blue around the mouth and tears were streaming down her face. Sookie dropped her in a heap on the floor.

"You are responsible for more than your own life. And I promise, if you do something to get Quinn killed, I will be coming for you myself. And believe me when I say it won't be pretty." Sookie spared her one last look before stepping around her and taking Eric's hand again.

Quinn was at Frannie's side in an instant. His mind was a jumbled mess. It made Sookie's head hurt just by proximity.

They turned to Joe as if nothing happened. Without a word, he immediately led them past through the entryway.

"That was interesting." Joe commented as he came to a set of stairs. Sookie was busy trying to calm herself, and trying to stay out of Quinn's head. She didn't want to know what he thought of her. She wanted to run back to the hotel and cry but she knew that wasn't an option. Besides, the Eric in her wanted to hit something instead of succumbing to tears.

"Indeed" Eric replied when Sookie didn't. His anger had faded into amusement. He was wishing that it were Quinn and not Frannie that Sookie choked midair. He felt her turmoil but also felt that she wanted to work through it on her own. So, he was streaming calm through the bond gently, instead of sending a big blast at her.

"Will it become a problem?" Joe asked still leading the way. They were on a long corridor on the second floor.

"No." Eric said. "There will be no problems with the tiger. He values his sister; he will keep her under control."

Sookie wasn't paying attention to the home around her. She knew it was spectacular, but she was trying to shut everyone out. She didn't want to hear Quinn, or anyone else for that matter. She wanted to be alone in her own head.

'Sookie, I know.' Eric began. 'But you can't do that right now. I need to be able to hear everyone and you're blocking everyone out.'

'It's too much Eric, I can't.'

'Yes you can Sookie. You can do anything. Just let it all flow through you. Remember our training. Let it all fall away from you and into me. I will keep watch over us.'

Sookie hesitated for a moment, and then let her shields down. All the minds began pouring into her but she just let them flow. Eric could hear what she could; so she could let him be their guard for now.

'That's it Sookie.' He encouraged. 'I have us. I promise I will make it up to you when we get back to the room. For now, just try to relax yourself. I've got this.'

She liked the way he said 'when we get back to the room'. There was nothing she could do about Quinn and Frannie now. So, along with the thoughts, she let her weariness, and anger, and hurt flow into Eric also. To his credit, he happily accepted it all without complaint. When she was empty she shut that door and locked it so that she could focus.

They were at the end of the corridor, and it had beautiful onyx marble floors. The walls were cream with a gold band crown molding. There were beautiful paintings in gilded frames. Sookie was in awe.

They stopped in front of two massive mahogany doors with a leaf pattern stretching around the border.

Joe knocked twice lightly then waited. A moment later he opened the door and walked into a sitting room. This room looked like a room in a palace to Sookie. The walls had a golden wash finished that made it look stained. There was a large cream couch with golden pillows. There were two matching armchairs on either side of the couch. They were facing what was a gilded jewel encrusted throne with a purple padded seat and back rest. The rest of the room was decorated in understated luxury.

Joe motioned for them to sit. "The king will be with you in a minute." Then he left the room.

Eric pulled Sookie down next to him on the couch. Pam sat next to Sookie, and Bill sat in the arm chair next to Pam.

"Does that mean that Bubba's coming here too?" Sookie could help but ask.

"No." Eric smiled. "He's in Tennessee right now."

"Oh. Well I must say that this in a complete departure from what I expected from Stan." Sookie confessed.

"I doubt that this is his true house. I'd bet that this is just where he hosts events. He has to have a formal place because he is king, but I wouldn't call this his home."

"And you would be right." A cold voice spoke. Stan appeared in the room from a door to the left of the throne that she hadn't noticed.

Eric, Pam, and Bill stood immediately and bowed. Sookie followed suit a moment later. She noticed that though they bowed, it wasn't nearly as deeply as they would have bowed to Felipe.

"Northman, Bill; and I believe that this is your child Northman?"

"Pam." He answered.

"Pam." Stan repeated as he if he was seeing how it tasted on his tongue, and then he sat on his throne. "And of course Miss. Stackhouse, it is my pleasure to see you again.

"Thank you, sir." Sookie replied. "But please call me Sookie."

"As you wish, Sookie." Stan's eyes seemed to glow as he held her gaze. Normally Sookie would have expected to feel the pressure of influence, but she didn't. Stan's eyes were just intense.

'He wants you.' Eric informed her.

'Of course he does.' Sookie responded. 'Life would be too easy if someone wasn't scheming to get me.'

'No, he's not scheming.' Eric corrected. 'Or at least there are no schemes in is head. He just desires you.'

She wasn't expecting that. So, she began to focus in the river of thoughts so that she could hear Stan. She could see what Eric meant. Wow, what an imagination…

"A great many people were eager to attend his gathering for you Sookie." Stan said. "We've even had to turn people away."

"Why?" she asked, her eyes bugging out of her head (as Gran called it). "I'm just a mortal."

"Yes, but you are a mortal that has exceptional abilities. After Rhodes, both you and Barry have become renowned. Every vampire in North America knows your names.

"Where is Barry? I'd love to see him." Sookie said. In for a penny, in for a pound she thought. She may as well get this out of the way, besides she didn't want to think about how many supernatural beings knew her…even if only by name.

"Barry's on vacation. He's due back tomorrow afternoon." Stan stated. His voice was quite expressionless, but his mind betrayed him.

'Still hasn't come back. Demetri says there's no sign of him. Hasn't checked out either.'

Sookie tensed and began gripping Eric's hand like a vice.

'Calm down lover. We need to be careful. We can't act like we know anything until he tells us.'

'But Barry is missing! We have to help him!'

'We will.' Eric assured. 'Lover, trust me, we will.'

Sookie gave herself a mental shake. If Eric said that we would help Barry, then she knew they would. Eric has always been careful about what he says; if nothing else he's a man of his word.

"Hmm, maybe he will want to have lunch together or something. I've missed him." Sookie was hoping that her voice didn't betray her inner turmoil.

Stan's eyes studied her, before moving to Eric. He was trying to decide whether or not to tell us about Barry. On the one hand having a powerful vampire like Eric and another telepath could be of great use to him. On the other hand he didn't want to reveal his weakness that yet again something was wrong in his house and he needed Sookie's help. They didn't realize how highly valued Sookie was in the vamp world. He needed to show how close he was to her. He needed Barry back. Though Sookie was better known Barry was well known too, and he couldn't afford to look weak by having such a prized commodity disappear from his control.

Sookie was appalled by Stan's thought process, but she tried to keep her cool. However he thought of them, commodity, possession, leverage, she needed him to tell her about Barry so that she could help look for him without revealing that she could read minds. All of a sudden she wished that she could glamour vampires.

"There is something I must tell you about king." Eric said. "A week ago, my bonded and I were attacked by a were-bear." This was a calculated risk on Eric's part, but one that could get us to where we wanted to be. Stan's only reaction was that his eyebrows rose fractionally, and his eyes sparked for a moment. "Sookie's' always had problems reading were's, but there was something completely different. We were hoping that you would be gracious enough to grant us an audience with Barry to see if he's ever come across anything like it."

"What was so different about the bear?" Stan asked, disregarding Eric's request.

"She could hear the bear as clearly as if he was human, but they were practiced thoughts. She could get no information from him that he didn't want her to have."

"Where is the bear now?"

"Dead."

"Were you able to question him before you killed him?" Stan's eyes flashed again. Normally Sookie would be irritated about not being included in the conversation, but Stan looked absolutely dangerous. There was only one other time she had ever saw him look like this; and just like she did then, she looked everywhere except directly in Stan's eyes.

"Yes, all he would say was that he was supposed to 'bring the blond'."

Stan's mind began swirling. The thoughts were moving so fast that Sookie was having trouble understanding everything. 'Sookie was attacked too.' 'Now Barry is gone.' 'I wonder…' Then his mind started moving at warp speed and all Sookie wanted was a large gin and tonic or an extra large Tylenol and lay down.

"Have you spoken to your king yet?" Stan asked his voice was positively steel.

"No." Eric answered.

"Why?"

"When we asked the bear who sent him, he said that it was king Felipe; and with his thoughts as trained as they were, there's no way to verify whether it is the truth or not." Eric explained guardedly. "We deemed it prudent to learn more about the situation."

There was a long pause as everyone evaluated everyone else. Stan's thoughts were swirling even more than before and Sookie tried to block them out before her head actually split open.

"You are a thousand years old; you don't get that old by being stupid or slow. Tell me your thoughts Northman."

"He's definitely interested in Sookie, but she is bonded to me, and she has his protection. We both are under his dominion. I have no doubt that he would try to bring Sookie to his side given half a chance, but I just don't thing that he'd go about it like this. He's smarter than that.

"Someone had to teach the bear how to think around Sookie. Just like Sookie's work brought her into contact with Barry, we wanted to know if Barry's work has brought him into contact with any other telepaths."

Stan weighed his options but he came to the conclusion that Eric intended.

"Not that I know of," Stan began. "Barry has been on vacation for the last week in Las Vegas. He checked in with us Monday night and again on Tuesday."

"You let him go on vacation by himself?" Sookie asked before she could stop herself.

Stan's eyes became bright as he regarded her and he remembered that annoying habit she had of speaking up when she should be shutting up; apparently that hadn't changed.

"No, Sookie." He said and she blushed at her lack of restraint, and she hoped that she didn't change his mind from talking.

"Joseph and Marcus were due for a vacation too so they went with him. When they woke Tuesday night Barry didn't answer his door. They followed his scent but it only led to the street in front of the building. They are still there searching. King Felipe has agreed to aid the search as well."

Eric looked thoughtful. "Interesting." He said.

Sookie was attacked, that pointed them in the direction of Felipe and Stan. Now Barry is missing from Felipe's state.

"Is it me or is it odd how everything is pointing at Felipe? Isn't this a little too perfect?" Sookie asked.

"Not really, it could be because this is all coming about because he is doing it." Stan said.

"True but why attack us all the way in Bon Temps, and why just send one man? Why not summon us to Nevada and set a trap there?" She felt like she was missing something. It's just too neat.

'That's enough Sookie.' Eric cautioned. 'We don't want him to know everything that we are thinking. Just because Barry is missing doesn't mean that we can trust Stan.'

'Fine.' Sookie agreed; she was already gone. She was replaying everything that she knew in her head.

"Those are good questions, and very common sense. Maybe it's a cover; if something goes wrong he could claim innocence with those very questions." Stan pointed out. Sookie didn't say anything else, she just nodded.

"I think that it's become in our interests to help you find Barry." Eric said.

"You will need to call him." Stan replied.

"Yes." Eric agreed. "I will arrange it."

"You can understand how valuable Barry is to me." Stan nodded to me. "I don't take it kindly when my assets go missing (Sookie winced). I will back you, whatever you need."

Though she had long since begun to block Stan, she could still get Eric's impressions. He thought that it was more than just Barry missing for Stan. As talented as he is he's still a human. The knowledge that anyone had the audacity to take what was his was inexcusable. Stan was not a man who tolerated being crossed.

"All you can do is appreciated" Eric answered diplomatically.

"Go now. I have things that need to be set in place. Oh yeah, Felipe isn't going to be at the banquet but he is sending a representative."

"Sandy?" Eric asked; it would be the obvious choice.

"And Victor." Stan corrected.

"Both?" Sookie piped up in spite of herself though she wasn't speaking to anyone in particular.

"Yes. I'm sure you already know; other kings and queens or their representatives will be there also. I have also granted the request of Pack Master Donavan. Apparently you've left quite an impression on someone called Luna Garza."

Now that was new, but oddly comforting. She may not know Luna very well, but the way she helped her the last time Sookie was in Dallas, she definitely counted her as a friend. Sookie nodded and Stan dismissed them.

'You are amazing.' Eric told her as they made their way back to the first floor.

'You could be biased.' She joked.

'Never.' The way that he said that made her whole body tingle. Sookie blushed but didn't reply.

Joe was waiting for them at the bottom of the stairs.

"Is there a bathroom I could use?" Sookie asked.

"Yes." He pointed to a door on the far side of the room.

"Thank you." She took off for the door.

This bathroom was really nice. Sookie took in the cherubs on the walls and golden fixtures. This bathroom was the size of her master bathroom only there was no tub, just a toilet, a bidet, and a sink with a gilded mirror.

After she did her business she took a closer look at the cherub wall paper as she washed her hands. For some reason it reminded her of her one sided conversation with Niall. He called her his sweet seraphim. From her readings she knew that it was another word for angel. She remembered how odd she thought it was that he would call her that, he never had before.

Sweet seraphim; Sookie could feel that she was close to something; she just had no idea of what. She began to think about his other words to her. "I am bound and you are blessed." He'd said. Angels are blessed, but what did it have to do with her?

He said that he was sorry that he couldn't be of more help to her; did that mean he was already giving her help? Damn it! Why couldn't he just say what he had to say instead of being so damn cryptic?

"You are blessed." She heard a voice whisper right behind her. Sookie gasped and twirled around, but there was no one there. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Sookie was looking at the wall trying to calm herself. She was looking at one of the cherubs who, curiously, seemed to be looking directly back at her. 'You are blessed' she repeated in her head again… and if clicked. She stood transfixed in the eyes of the angel.

'Sookie! Sookie what's wrong?' Eric's voice sounded in her head. She could tell just by the tone of his thought that he was already on full alert.

'I am blessed.' She said; her voice was slightly awed.

'I don't understand, what you mean?' he asked. Sookie could tell that he'd relaxed now that he knew that she was okay; but now he was growing curious about her seemingly random thought.

Sookie replayed Niall's words. "I'm sorry I couldn't be more help sweet seraphim." "I am bound and you are blessed."

Then she replayed the voice she heard behind her. "You are blessed." And she showed him the image she was captivated by.

'!??!' sounded the surprise from Eric. She knew there were probably words somewhere in there but she couldn't understand them. 'We need to leave now. Come on out lover.' His voice was full of wonder and was very urgent. He had come to the very same conclusion that she did.

Sookie gave herself a mental shake and went to rejoin the others. They were standing in the entry way and Joe was nowhere to be seen.

'He was called away' Eric informed her.

She was making her way to Eric's side when another voice spoke in her head.

'Sookie,' Quinn said. 'Can we talk?' She looked to her right to see Quinn standing on the stairs they took to go see Stan.

"Later." She said softly, she knew that he could hear her.

'We need to work this out babe. This has gone on long enough.' He pressed.

Sookie stopped and turned toward Quinn. "I don't have time for this Quinn. There's nothing to work out."

'Yes there is.' Quinn protested.

"No there's not. Eric is my bonded. I love him. He loves me. We are happy. I would like to have you as a friend but I can respect if it's too hard for you."

'But-' he began but Sookie cut across him. She could feel that Eric was just seconds away from ripping Quinn limb from limb. She had to move fast.

"No buts Quinn. You need to ask yourself if you could be only my friend, because that's the only thing I have to give anyone who is not Eric. Frannie needs to grow up if she insisted on living in the supe world. You need to let her fall on her own; she needs to make her own mistakes. You can't be there to protect her all the time, or else she won't ever learn how to protect herself. You can't be her superman."

'Babe,' He began again.

"I'm not your babe Quinn, not anymore. Call me by my name." She took a deep breath so that she could calm herself. "Now like I said, I am in a bit of a rush." With that Sookie turned from Quinn and threw up a block when he tried to get her attention again.

'He is treading on thin ice.' Eric said when Sookie reached him. She flung her arms around his waist and held him tightly.

'Forget about him. We have more pressing issues.'

"Let's go." Eric said. Pam moved in front of us, Bill fell behind; and they walked back to the limo.

Everyone was quiet on the drive back to the Silent Shore Hotel. Bill and Pam were trying to digest all that they had heard. They were both on edge about the banquet tomorrow. It warmed Sookie's heart when she heard them both thinking of suggestions for Eric on how to keep her safe.

By the time they got back to their room it was almost five. They had just over an hour before dawn.

"We will meet tomorrow in our room at first dark. We will go over plans then." Eric told Bill and Pam as they all stepped off the elevator.

Sookie hadn't said a word the whole way back, and Eric let her wrap herself in her own thoughts. She walked over to the windows as soon as she walked into the room. Eric wrapped his arms around her. She felt safe and protected and small. Being on her own, and trying to take care of her family and friends, didn't leave herself a lot of time where she could just feel small, and sheltered.

"We need to talk lover." Eric said.

"I know."

"You are blessed by angels." He stated.

"I think it's more accurate to say we are blessed by angels."

"I've never been a Christian." He mused. "I've never followed the ways of The One God."

"The One God?" Sookie asked. She had never heard it described like that before.

"That's what we called Him. We had many gods; the idea that there was only one supreme God was outrageous to many."

"Oh, I guess I could see that." She said as she tried to think how it must have been a thousand years ago.

Silence fell between them again.

"If we are blessed by angels, then that would explain why we are able to destroy houses during sex, but why can't we do anything while we are awake?" She asked.

This had already occurred to Eric-of course. "Niall said 'Love is the key' I think that we have the means to bring it out. We just have to figure out the trigger."

"Sex seems to be a pretty food trigger. Want to try it?" she smiled at him.

"Of course." He said. "But it's not every time we have sex, just when we…"

She waited for a while to see if he would continue his words, but he didn't. "What?" she asked.

"When we make love." He said. "It's not our wild crazy sex; it's when we connect in the bond."

"But it doesn't last." She murmured after his words sunk into her head.

"No, it doesn't…" They lapsed into a thoughtful silence again.

Neither realized how long they stood there in each other's embrace. The sky began to lighten outside. Eric pulled Sookie to the bed after closing the light proof drapes. Sookie was amazed at how long he was able to last. She knew that it was only because he was so old. She knew Bill and Pam were long since asleep.

As they climbed into bed she was surrounded by a gentle peace. She had been worrying about whether this strength and power was good or not. Eric tried to soothe her when she voiced her fears, but it was always at the back of her mind. Now that she knew she was blessed by angels, an extreme peace filled her. It was like nothing else. Since she had entered the supe world, she'd been worried that she was slowly slipping into darkness. How many times had she told herself that she was a bad Christian, but a decent survivalist? Now she knew God hadn't forgotten about her. The peace of knowing that was other worldly, it wrapped around her completely, and she poured it into Eric as they fell asleep in each other's arms.

They truly were blessed.

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Okay everyone, I know that this is a very short chapter and I am very sorry. It was going to be this mega chapter but I decided it would be better received if I split it. So this chapter is a little short but the next chapter will be on the long side.

I have some exciting news. My beta gave me a great idea. She thought that it would be a good idea to reward those who review my chapters. So for the first fifteen reviews I get to this chapter I will give a sneak peak into the next chapter. For all those who dont make it into that first fifteen dont worry, I have something for you too. For now just enjoy the story, I will leave instructions at the end of this chapter. This is my version of a thank you, because the next chapter is a defining chapter (which is why it will be so long).

Again, I know that I am still throwing a lot of things at you at once, I was trying to tone it down but I dont think that there is any way around it. So thank you all for not throwing things at me lol.

**Chapter 10**

Feather light caresses covered Sookie's face. She didn't want to wake, her dreams were so good. She and Eric walked together through each other's imagination. He showed her where he came from, his family, his friends and his home. The dined with his parents, though now that she was on the edge of waking she could no longer recall their faces.

Eric had disappeared and she was searching for him. She didn't want to wake without him. The light caresses began to send small jolts though her body. She realized that those sweet caresses were actually feather light kisses.

'_I'm waiting for you lover_.' She heard.

She opened her eyes to find herself looking into vast pools of shining blue. She recognized it as a part of herself…her better half.

Eric laughed. "I must disagree with you there lover, you are definitely the more pristine part of this whole."

'_You have your opinions, and I have mine_.' She thought to him. She didn't want to actually talk because she knew she had morning breath and no one should have to endure it.

Eric laughed at her again. She noticed how his eyes twinkled with his amusement and it melted her heart. She was putty in his hands.

"Then let me mold you." He murmured as his mood changed abruptly. He leaned down to kiss her, but at the last second she turned her head away and he kissed her cheek.

'_I'm sorry_.' She thought as she felt his confusion and the tiniest pang of hurt flow across the bond. '_I just really need a minute to be a human right now.' _

He rolled his eyes and let her up with a theatrical sigh. She scurried to the bathroom to take care of her human needs.

When she was done she washed her hands and studied her face in the mirror. She looked more and more youthful everyday because was taking daily infusions of Eric's blood. She liked how it sparked and popped in her veins. His blood was one of the sweetest and best tasting things she'd ever had. She tried to remember what it was like when she had to take Bill's blood. She remembered how she thought was salty, slightly sweet, and had a little tang to it. It wasn't horrible but it wasn't her favorite thing either. If Bill's blood was a sandwich, Eric's blood was a four course meal.

She turned her face this way and that, but there was no denying it, she looked younger now than she did the night she met Bill. Her skin was supple and flawless. Her blond hair was lighter, and her blue eyes glowed. She realized that they now more or less matched Eric's.

How different was she now, from that night Bill walked into her life? She had been irreparably changed. Gone forever was the wide eyed innocent little girl she once was. She was stronger now, and though she didn't want to admit it, she was a little harder too. She'd always been a fighter (when she couldn't avoid it), but now she was powerful. She thought that she would always be alone-a cruel joke. Now she was tied, mind body and spirit to not just a man…but a vampire.

She felt a pang of sadness because she knew that she would never have children, and she loved them so. This was the price of being with Eric, but she would happily pay it a thousand times. She could live without kids, but she couldn't live without Eric.

Yes, a thousand things have changed since she'd met Bill. She felt that she was somehow indebted to him. He had set her on a journey upon a winding road. She may not have liked all the places it had taken her but she couldn't be happier about the destination. She owed Bill big time. However, she still couldn't think how she could repay him.

She heard Eric talking on the phone but she tried not to listen-they didn't have to be in each other's head all the time. Still, it broke her unyielding thoughts and she decided to stick all the thoughts of Bill into a mental drawer and close it tight. Tonight she would be surrounded once again by vampires. That is definitely a situation where you need to keep your wits about you.

Sookie went back into the room just as Eric closed his cell phone and dropped it back on the nightstand.

"Bill and Pam will meet us here in two hours." He informed her.

"What time is the banquet?"

"It will start at midnight, but I want to get there a bit early so that we can investigate our surroundings."

She nodded and went to sit on the edge of the bed. It surprised her whenever Eric knelt in front of her.

"I agree with you." He said softly. "You're not the girl you were when I met you." He'd been listening to her.

"Is that a good thing?" She asked nervously.

"It's always a good thing to grow; it's the only way to survive. You've adapted yourself to the situations that you were carelessly thrust into; but your essential essence has never changed. You are aware of those around you. No one can easily take advantage you. You help so many people. You are different. You are the same. I love you, inside and out."

Sookie threw up blocks in her mind so that he couldn't hear her thoughts. He looked at her confused.

"I love you too Eric. But…" she let her voice trail off. Eric was truly alarmed now. She felt his emotions swirl though the bond. She could feel him probing it to see what she was feeling. She tried to keep herself calm. She could feel him push against her mind but her blocks held.

"But?" he asked cautiously. She pouted and looked down at her hands. He lifted her head so that she had to look at him.

"But?" he repeated.

"But I seem to remember you saying last night that you would make up the meeting with the king to me when we got back to the hotel; and yet nothing…"

Eric looked at her for a moment as she let her mental blocks fall and he heard her mental laughter, though she tried to keep a straight face. Tried and failed…miserably. She couldn't help but to crack a smile.

Eric frowned at her, though she could feel his relief.

"What's wrong?" she asked, smoothing his forehead out so he wouldn't look unhappy.

"It seems like I am going to have to keep you separated from Pam from now on." He stated.

"What? Why?" she said completely stunned, of all his reactions this was not one that she had anticipated.

Or maybe she had heard something. She could hear the vampire minds buzzing about but she wasn't paying them any attention. She tried to focus on Pam, but couldn't find her. Pam wasn't there, neither was Bill.

"She has always liked to tease me but it seems that she's had a very bad influence on you." He nipped the sensitive spot behind her ear and she jumped.

Relief flooded through her and she hit Eric's arm. She didn't realize she was even tense.

"That wasn't funny." She complained, hitting him again.

"Aw lover." He said with mock innocence. "Don't tell me you can't take it."

He began laughing at the look on her face when she pushed him to the side and got up. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him as his entire body shook with laughter. She tried to be annoyed and angry but she couldn't, especially with him so gleeful. So she settled for the next best thing.

She leaned down so that she could lick his ear. His body instantly stilled and she knew he was no longer feeling humorous. It still amazed her how quickly he could change moods.

"Oh I can definitely take it." She murmured sexily. "The question is…" she licked his ear again-he growled again in response. "…can you?"

Then, quicker than humanly possible, Sookie snatched a pillow from the bed and hit Eric in the head before taking off towards the sitting room. Eric was hot on her tail with a pillow in each hand. He swung one at her head, but she ducked and he missed. She realized too late that it was just a distraction because at that same moment he swung the other pillow and connected to her body-sending her into the couch that slammed against the wall.

She looked at Eric with wide eyes, he preened under her gaze. She couldn't believe she started this with just one pillow. That was like bringing a knife to a gun fight, but there wasn't enough time for her to grab another pillow so she will just have to make do. She hopped up so that she was crouched on the couch and she glared menacingly at him.

"Truly the scariest sight I've ever seen!" He taunted her. She began to step to the side and he countered her every step. She was glad that they had slept in their clothes because she jumped over the side of the couch and launched herself at the door, but Eric was faster.

As she opened the door, he slammed it shut and pressed against her."Don't tell me you are trying to retreat already lover." He purred, his voice dripping with sex.

She couldn't help but to grind her butt against his gracious plenty-making them both moan.

"Never." She vowed breathily.

"Good." He replied. Then he pressed his body closer to hers.

Sookie was quickly getting lost in the feeling of Eric. She knew that if she didn't do something quick then she would lose this battle; but at the moment she was having issues with having coherent thoughts.

His chest rumbled with amusement at her fleeting thoughts. She threw her shields back up. Eric's hands began to travel up and down her sides, making her start to pant. This was about to be game over. So she did the only thing that she could do. She wiggled against him again, causing a deep groan of pleasure to sound in his chest. His hands began to move restlessly over her.

Sookie could feel when he spread his legs so that his gracious plenty was more in line with her butt. She prayed that it was enough. She pushed against Eric who groaned appreciatively, then hugged the wall and fell to her knees. She sat back in the space between his legs and kicked against the wall. She moved easily behind him.

As Eric turned to her she hit him with the pillow in the chest with all her might, knocking him into the wall next to the door. Then she could feel air blow by her as Eric swung at her and missed.

"Very clever of you lover." Eric complimented her as she jumped three feet onto the bed to miss his next attack. Sookie bounced once on the bed then jumped towards the bathroom. Eric anticipated her move, he thought that she could expect him to follow her onto the bed, and she counted on the time he used to land so that she could launch herself once again at the door.

Instead Eric went around the bed and folded her into his arms with a big smile.

"Welcome home lover." He said as he adjusted her so that he as holding her-Rhett and Scarlett style-as she liked to call it.

"You always win." She pouted.

"Not always." He said. Then he kissed her pouting lips.

She snorted. "Eric, you're the most competitive person I know. You don't know how to lose."

"That's why I'm as old as I am. That's why I'm Sherriff. But more importantly, that's why you love me." He smiled winningly and sarcastically at her.

"Ugh. All of a sudden I'm feeling very nauseous."

"Hmm, then I suppose that it's a good thing that I know the cure for that." He didn't even give her a chance to respond before his lips were on hers. She forgot her witty come back and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

He carried her into the bathroom. Sookie wasn't quite sure as to how he got the shower started without putting her down but she was immensely grateful. Eric stepped into the shower, with Sookie still cradled to him.

"Eric!" she jumped in his arms. "Our clothes!"

He stood her on her feet but restrained her when she tried to jump out. "Not a problem lover." He assured.

He traced his fingers over her breasts and then tugged on her dress. It came off without hesitation. Then he tugged on her strapless bra and her panties and they too disappeared in a similar fashion. Since she met vampires, she lost more underwear that way.

She looked up at Eric to see that he was already nude. He'd have to teach her how he does that sometime.

"Later." He said as he took in her body, that as now glistening with water. "Right now I have a different lesson in mind".

He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He trailed kisses along her jaw line before he reclaimed her mouth. Sookie twined her fingers in his hair pulling him closer into her.

Eric picked Sookie back up and pressed her back against the tile. She moaned at the sensation that the cold tile had on her hot body. A shiver rippled through her and caused one in Eric as he entered her.

"Eric." She gasped as he pinned her to the wall with long languid strokes. She tightened her legs around his waist driving him deeper. Eric began to pick up the pace, driving harder and harder into Sookie. He bucked at the end of each stroke trying to get even further into her. Feral growls and animalistic moans erupted from both of them. Sookie met Eric's every thrust with a grind of her own. They were both lost in each other.

The bond opened up even wider, as their mutual lust grew and was magnified between the two. Both were too far gone to notice their golden encasement with silver currents running through it. She arched her back and closed her eyes.

"No." Eric said. "Watch me lover."

Sookie complied through a chant of "Eric…oh Eric…god yesss…pleasepleaseplease." When Sookie opened her eyes she found that Eric's bright blue eyes were gone, and they were now replaced by solid gold. His golden eyes gleamed brighter when he saw her solid silver eyes.

The ground began to shake. They knew what would happen next but at the same time they were powerless to stop it. She didn't want to hurt anyone, and if the same thing that happened to Eric's house happened to this hotel, someone would get hurt-possibly even killed. In the dream realm they could control their power between their will through the bond and the strength of their mind, but right now they were both mindless.

Gold and silver lightening began to strike out around them. They were cast into darkness when the light fixture was destroyed, but they were both able to see as clearly as if it were day light.

They were approaching their climax and that's when they felt a change. Their eyes began to glow brighter. Eric's hair began glowing solid gold and silver streaks began to show in Sookie's.

"I love you." Sookie said even though her voice was strangled and broken.

That sent Eric over the golden barrier and he climaxed, pulling Sookie along with him. Instead of a great outward explosion, their energy bombarded every part of their body. The closest thing that Sookie could associate with this extreme feeling was when she drank from Eric. Yes, it was the same as the way Eric's blood crackled and popped inside her. Only this was beyond belief, it was magnified a million times. It felt like they would explode, there's no way that their bodies could handle this. Every part of them sparkled and popped, their muscles tensed, and they held on to each other for all they were worth.

Sookie cried out Eric's name, and Eric roared. The pressure and the power that coursed through them held and they trembled under the weight of it; then finally it dissipated and they both sagged on the shower wall. He rested some of his weight against her as they both tried to calm themselves. She was glad that he hadn't put her down yet, she was pretty sure that she couldn't stand on her own now. They trembled with every aftershock because their bodies sparked and jumped with their energy every time.

"I love you too." Eric murmured as he set her back on her feet. Vampires didn't have a need to breathe, but Eric sounded breathless…as breathless as a thousand year old vampire could.

They were both standing now but their bodies were still pressed closely together. Finally Eric put one had on the wall and pushed himself back, so that his weight was totally on his extended arm, instead of her. When they looked at each other they marveled at their appearance.

They weren't completely changed but their eyes still glowed gold and silver. Eric's hair had lost much of its natural highlights and Sookie had shinning platinum silver liberally streaking her locks.

Eric's eyes blazed into hers, and she felt love and happiness push in on her from every side. They were no longer encased by their gold and silver energy but their feeling still echoed around them like the surrounding bond was still there. They paid no attention to the hot water that was still beating down on them.

"Amazing." Eric marveled as his fingers combed through her gold and silver locks. Then he brought one hand to her face so that he could run his index finger around her eyes; her hands mimicked his.

They remained like that until Eric reached past her to turn off the hot water. Sookie was about to step out when Eric stopped her.

"Careful." He warned her. Sookie looked out around the pitch black bathroom.

She shouldn't have been able to see anything, but her vision was clear. Everything had taken a silvery tint. There was glass everywhere. There were large holes in the walls, but nothing like her bathroom at home.

"At least we didn't destroy the entire hotel." She joked, secretly relieved (well maybe not so secret, but you get the idea). She looked back at Eric, and then noticed that he had a faint glow about him.

It was more than the faint glow that all vampires emitted; this was a slightly golden tint. She lightly stroked his skin.

"You're glowing." She commented. He laughed and picked her up.

"I could say that the same thing about you." He replied, and then he flew them back into the bedroom.

Sookie looked down at her own hand. She had a glow about her too, brighter than the faint vampire glow but not as bright as she is in the dream realm.

Before she had a chance to comment a loud banging erupted from the sitting room.

"Who is it?" Eric barked.

"It's us." Pam replied through the main door. "We've come for the meeting."

'_Has it been two hours already?_' Sookie asked herself, before she tried to recount the seemingly missing time.

"Not now." Eric replied. He couldn't let anyone see them like this, especially when they have no control over their abilities. He trusted his child, and grudgingly Bill, but this is not the time or place he had chosen to have this conversation.

"There's not time, it has to be now." Bill said.

'_He's right Eric; we have to talk now if you want us to arrive early. But how are we supposed to explain this?_' she motioned to her eyes and hair.

"Hold." Eric commanded them. Then he spoke to Sookie silently. '_Lets try to suppress the power. We can do it in the dream realm so that we can look like ourselves. We should be able to do it here too.'_

_'Why? It's not as if anything else works here.'_ She pointed out…a little bitterly.

'_We have to try anyway._' Eric said, and then stepped in front of her. _'I can still feel all that energy in me, I know you can too. It's worth a shot Sookie.'_

_'Okay.'_ Sookie agreed, not too graciously.

They closed their eyes and reached for their bond. They pulled on it, opening it further. They could feel their life force pulse between them. They focused on the energies that now freely coursed through their bodies and began to will it into the bond. The bond grew to accommodate the silver and gold energy.

"Master, are you okay?" Pam called through the door.

To Eric and Sookie, Pam sounded like she as a mile under water. They couldn't answer her though, they had to concentrate. The newly released energy felt concentrated and it wanted to flow, not to be contained. Slowly they gathered and forced their energies into the bond. It was very draining but they persisted.

They could faintly hear what they supposed was someone yelling and banging on the outside door, but they could no longer make out the words. They dropped to the floor onto their knees as they willed the last of their energy down into the bond.

The door burst open and Pam and Bill were at their sides within the blink of an eye. As they began to close the bond they began to become more aware of her surroundings. She could feel hands on her waist. She was panting and Eric was growling as they closed their energies inside the bond. They looked into each other's eyes, to see that they had returned to normal. Their glow was gone.

"Get your hands off her!" Eric growled.

The hands on her waist tightened. Sookie was too tired to move but she could see the picture in Eric's mind. Bill was the one clutching her bare waist. Eric was physically weak but, being a vampire, he was quickly recovering.

"Now!" Eric roared. He shot to his feet and into a crouch.

Bill gave one last squeeze before reluctantly stepping away from her. Pam was kneeling next to her in the next second with one of the complimentary white robes.

She wrapped it around Sookie and then helped her to the bed.

Sookie could feel the curiosity rolling off Pam, but she knew Eric well enough not to question him; Eric always has a good reason for the things he does. He would tell her when he deems it necessary for her to know.

Bill disregarded his better judgment. He was seething that Eric seemed to have done something to hurt Sookie. Even more at the knowledge that they seemed to be keeping something from him and that something seemed to be what was hurting her. He hated that he wasn't more powerful, that he couldn't just order Eric to leave Sookie alone. Everything that he had been feeling since their breakup seemed to be overflowing.

"What the hell is going on?!" he demanded. When no one answered his question he began to get irate. "Eric!" he yelled.

Eric was pinning Bill to the wall faster than Sookie could track his movement. Growls erupted from both of them.

Sookie tried to get up, but Pam held her on the bed.

"No Sookie." She said. "They have to work this out and you interrupting will only make it worse."

Sookie balked and tried to push Pam away but she was still too weak. Containing their energy really had taken a lot out of her, and even now she could feel a minute stream coming back into her. They couldn't contain it completely; at least she couldn't, and somehow now didn't seem to be the right time to ask Eric.

"Trust me Sookie." Pam urged her. Sookie stopped trying to fight her; it really wasn't doing any good.

"You listen to me William Compton because I will only say this once. You do not ever question me again! I am your Sherriff. I do not answer to you nor will I ever. Sookie is my bonded. She is no concern of yours anymore. You have survived under her protection long enough."

"Her protection!" Bill raged, still past reason. "I don't need her protection! I am the one who has always protected her!"

Eric slammed Bill into the wall so hard he broke through one side of the dry wall. "Her protection is the only thing that has kept you alive, but no more! I won't allow her to shield you any longer. If I have to remind you of your place again it will not be pleasant if you ever survive it. Do I make myself plain?"

Bill took too long to answer so Eric slammed him into the wall again, breaking through to the bathroom.

"Yes, Sherriff." Bill said through gritted teeth.

Bill was still hanging off of Eric's arm as he began to lower him. Sookie thought that he was about to put Bill down, but she was oh so very wrong.

As soon as Bill's feet touched the ground Eric pulled him close and bit his neck. Bill growled loudly and tried to break Eric's grip, but it was futile. Even a weakened thousand year old vampire was stronger than a Civil War era vampire.

TBC

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*Okay fans, to get a sneak peak at the next chapter you have to review! For the first fifteen reviewers I will send you a juicy sneak peak. I promise that you will love it...or hate it but which ever, you wont forget it. Everyone else, please don't be discouraged, for everyone else that reviews I will send something special too, but you have to review to see what it is...

Of course it goes without saying that this will only last until the publishing of chapter 11

So review review review, I promise that it will be worth it!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Okay my lovely readers, this is the defining chapter that I was telling you about. I am not sure what to say about it except that it is what it is. It is twice as long as any other chapter I have written so make sure you have the time to spare to sit down and read it, don't say that I didnt warn you. Also Bill's pov is marked by the lines, it is just a small glimpse.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I hope you enjoyed my little teaser.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of Charlaines characters, I just like taking them out to play.

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Chapter 11

Sookie cried out in surprise but Eric ignored her. He drew deeply from Bill, but was careful to gage the point where Bill would be too weak to heal from true blood, so that he could still attend the banquet. When he hit that mark, he tossed Bill towards the doorway leading to the sitting room. Sookie was completely stunned at the vampiric display.

"Go get dressed, and then come back. We will talk then." Eric commanded. Pam and Bill disappeared in the next moment.

Eric sat next to Sookie on the bed and pulled her into his lap. He could feel how appalled and confused she was, and instead of giving her a long lesson in the vampire way he waited for her to calm herself so that she could ask all the questions that swirled in her head.

"What the hell Eric?" she finally asked.

"He dared to touch you when you were naked. I could have killed him on the spot for that and would have been completely justified." Eric said calmly.

"He was just checking on me." She protested.

"You cannot protect him anymore Sookie." She was about to interrupt but he held up his hand so he could finish. "You are harming both of us when you intervene on his behalf. Bill cannot defy me, it makes me look weak. Weak vampires make easy targets Sookie; and the fact that its common knowledge that he's your ex makes it so much worse."

"I know but-"

"No buts Sookie. If Bill defies me and gets away with it, then others will think that they could do the same and I would quickly lose control of my area. If I lose control of my area, I would be replaced by the king. If I am replaced by the king, then it would make it harder to protect you. We would spend all of our time fending off attacks and I haven't survived as long as I have and found you just to be done in by an old boyfriend who refuses to respect boundaries."

Tears began to fall from Sookie's eyes, but Eric wiped them away. He tilted her chin up so that she was looking into his eyes.

"I know you care about him; and I know that it is in a different way than you care about me. Right now we are in a vulnerable state. We don't need the added stress of people attacking in as a power play because they believe that they've found a chink in my armor."

Sookie nodded.

"What Bill does causes danger to the both of us. I promise that I won't kill him, but I may have to cause him serious pain."

Sookie's eyes grew wide in horror.

"I promise that it will be nothing that he can't heal from. Okay?"

Sookie thought for a moment. She could see the logic in his words. She would never want to make Eric look weak any more than he would want to make her into a fang banger. He was right though, she did care for Bill, but if Eric were hurt because of Bill she would never forgive him-or herself. If Eric were hurt-not killed-but just hurt she knew she would kill Bill (possibly by extremely slow dismemberment). She would feel bad and guilty but she could live with that pain. If Eric were killed…she'd set the world on fire.

"Okay, I agree, but I do have another question."

"That's simple." He said. "I took Bills blood as an act of dominance. I was weak and vampire blood would heal me better and faster than synthetic blood. I would never take Pam's blood without, at the very least, an explanation and I didn't want to tell them just yet about us. Besides, you need to take some of my blood and I needed to feed. Bill was the obvious choice. Besides, I couldn't let you feed from him and reinforce your almost non existent tie to him."

"Um, okay." Sookie said unable to think of anything else to say.

"I suppose that I could have taken Pam's blood and just told her I would tell her why later, but where's the fun in that? I enjoy the struggle." He continued. She wished he didn't. He smiled at her discomfort.

She hit his shoulder. "Jerk." He smiled even bigger at her.

"Now," Eric said before he bit his wrist. "Drink."

Sookie didn't hesitate as she latched onto the little wounds. A low rumble echoed appreciatively in Eric's chest. He wrapped his free arm around her waist and shifted her around so that she was straddling his legs with her back to his chest.

He lifted the bottom of the robe up and slid her down on him. Sookie groaned and relaxed her hold on his wrist.

"No, drink." Eric commanded, placing his bloody wrist back to her lips. This time she drew deeply from Eric. He growled and tightened his grip around her waist. He moved her up and down and she began to whimper her pleasure as he pounded her down on him. She could feel him in her chest. She wasn't sure if he was trying to prove a point, but if he was, she hoped that it would be one he would try to prove over and over…and over again.

She drew deeply from him one last time and released his wrist, he moved that hand to her waist to help guide her body.

She put her hands on his knees and leaned forward so that she could have more leverage and Eric turned her hips slightly so that he could hit her spot.

"Oh yes Eric! Yesyesyesyesyes…please Eric please. Yes, like that." She chanted uncontrollably as Eric drilled her spot over and over.

She was quickly reaching that golden edge. The succulent taste of Eric's blood-that was now popping and sparking in her body-and the way he was driving into her was more then she could handle.

Eric bit down on her neck and they both came violently, her screaming his name, him with a savage growl as he drew from her neck. He could hardly believe it. She was even sweeter than the last time he drew from her. He had been trying not to drink from her every time they had sex even though he takes very little, just because they have so much sex that he may as well feed like a fledgling. He didn't want to weaken her, especially at this crucial time. He was happy that he'd made that choice because even now he had to force himself to pull away. After a few moments he licked the wound so that it would heal.

They sat there for a minute. Sookie was trying to remember how to work her legs and Eric was trying to resist biting her again. Though she could feel his struggle, she trusted him so implicitly that she didn't even try to distance herself from him. That is what finally gave him the control over himself again. He pushed her hair to the side and kissed her neck.

Eric lifted her off him-sending a pleasurable shudder through them both-and placed her on the bed next to him. He went into the bathroom, but was back within a minute with a wet towel. He gently cleaned her and then himself.

"We need to get dressed-" He fell silent as he stood and looked at her face. After studying her for a moment, he ran his fingers through her hair.

"What's wrong Eric?" She asked. Somehow she couldn't see him getting this worked up if she just had a few split ends.

His lips twitched, but it was so quick she couldn't be sure.

"It looks like we weren't able to contain ourselves completely." He commented. Before she could ask he pulled a lock of her hair into her line of sight.

It wasn't gold as she'd expected, but platinum silver. She was stunned.

"Is it…" she trailed off unable to complete her question.

Eric looked through her tresses and quickly said "No, it's just the one lock." She wasn't imagining the relief in his voice.

"Okay." She replied. She took a deep breath. One lock of silver wasn't a game ender. To anyone who saw her it will look as if she'd tried to do something new with her hair.

She wanted to whine and complain, but she reminded herself that it could be worse. Her eyes could still be glowing, there was no hiding that.

"Come on." Eric said pulling her out of her thoughts. "Get dressed."

She straightened her hair and pulled it up in a French twist. She let the silver lock frame her face with a small curl at the bottom. She wore a pair of her grandmothers pearl studs and a matching pearl bracelet she saw in a store that matched, but no other jewelry.

She still had on her bath robe and she went to the closet to get her dress. It was a pearl colored strapless gown that hugged her body closely, it flared out at the waist and had a long slit that came up to about mid thigh. She held up the hanger.

"Actually lover," Eric said from right behind her. It was a good thing that the bond alerted her to his closeness or else she would have jumped out of her skin. "Sorry." He added when she made a face at him. "But I was actually wondering if you would wear a different dress for me."

"But I didn't bring a different dress Eric."

"I know. I was shopping and I saw this on a mannequin in a shop window." He reached around her and pulled out a black garment bag. She'd assumed that it was his tux, but apparently she was wrong. "The store was closed but I know the owner and I had her open up. I couldn't leave without it. I knew it would look perfect on you."

"You made a shop owner open up their store so that you could buy me a dress?"

"Yes." He said simply.

"You don't think that was a little excessive?" she asked. He cocked an eyebrow at her and he nodded. "Of course not. You saw it, you wanted it, and you got it." She answered for him.

He smiled at her, and then unzipped the garment bag and took the dress out.

Sookie's mouth dropped open. She shoved the dress she'd brought back in the closet, but didn't even look to make sure that it made it to the rack. She took the dress Eric bought for her and ran her hand over it.

The dress felt silky smooth in her fingers. It was a black and ivory swirl design. It took her a few minutes to figure out how the thing went on, but Eric was all too happy to help. It had a halter top with a gathered waist and a large smoky jewel that fit in just under her breasts. Good thing it had a built in bra because no bra was possible with this dress. The back was almost non-existent with just two straps that came from the neck and went diagonally without crossing to under her arms, leaving her tanned back open to the waist. The long skirt hugged her figure but was loose enough around the bottom to allow free movement. The thin silky fabric flowed beautifully as she walked and felt wonderful against her smooth skin as she moved. Eric would enjoy removing this dress later.

"Of course lover," He purred as he stood behind her. "I always enjoy removing your clothes from you."

She blushed and smiled and turned her face so that he couldn't see. She was completely nude under this gorgeous dress. Eric insisted that she should match, and since there's no bra he said no panties were needed. She protested but he cheated. How is she supposed to make a clear argument when he is kissing her was beyond her comprehension...just like he wanted.

"Eric," she said as she sadly watched him pull on a beautiful black tux. "Can you feel the energy flowing into you from the bond? Like we didn't completely close it off?"

He paused in the act of pulling on his black jacket to assess the bond.

"Yes, I feel it. It's faint, but it's there, a light stream." He replied, and then pulled his tux jacket all the way on.

Sookie loved the way he looked in a tux. His was custom made, of course, and it accentuated all his best assets.

He walked over and sat next to her on the side of the bed. "Maybe that's why you have the streak, because we haven't been closing it out completely. How long have you felt it?"

"Since we first closed it inside the bond, I don't think that it's possible for us to actually close it in the bond."

"How do you mean?"

"I have noticed that we can project wanted feelings through the bond along with our actual feelings, and we can even block what we are feeling. But we have never been able to close the bond entirely…not the way we are trying to close all our energy in."

"Yes, I believe that you are right. There is a difference in closing the bond and just blocking your feelings from it. I don't think that actually closing the bond would work for a connection as strong as ours. This makes me very happy."

She looked at him as if he needed to get his head checked. Did vampires ever go crazy?

"Yes." He answered her silent thought. "But they usually meet the sun, and it's not in the same way as when a human goes crazy. What I was referring to is the fact that we are so strong, so connected, and so much a part of one another that we couldn't actually close our biggest link to one another. It speaks very highly of us lover."

"You would be thinking about the silver lining." She said, and leaned into his side. He wrapped his arm around her.

"Of course lover, there's always a silver lining." He said. He was lying.

"You don't believe that." She accused.

"No, but it sure seems that way since I've met you."

They sat content within themselves for another minute, before they heard someone knock on the door in the sitting room. They stood together and walked out front. Sookie paused for a moment to scan the brains outside, Bill and Pam.

She pulled open the door, and noticed that the lock on it was shattered when they burst through it earlier in the evening.

'_Already taken care of_' Eric chimed in.

Pam was wearing a black halter top gown that clasped around her neck with a crystal set choker. It hung close to her body like a glove, and there was a long slit that came almost to her hip. She looked ready to kill.

Bill looked striking in his black tux also. It didn't hug his frame like Eric's but the smooth black and crisp white looked beautiful next to his fair pallor. Sookie thought that any single lady at the party better watch out, because Bill looked like he was ready to break some hearts tonight.

He was holding two True Blood's in one hand as he drank an open one from the other. She could see how his eyes were a little colder now that all hope was gone from them. He seemed harder somehow. She didn't know this Bill; this was not the man she grew to love. Hell, this wasn't even the man that came into the bar that night. This Bill was dark, and for the first time ever, he looked dead. Not like the walking dead, they all were walking dead, but his spirit actually seemed dead.

She shuddered and stepped back so they could come in.

"Sookie you look simply edible." Pam said.

"Thanks Pam." She blushed. "You look breathtaking."

"Oh this old thing?" She preened. "You need to stop."

"No, it's you who need to stop." Eric said from the couch.

"Ah Master," she smiled innocently at Eric. "You seem to be in a better mood. I take it this time our visit isn't interrupting anything?"

Eric was smiling at his child on the inside but he didn't let it show on his face. "Sit Pam." He said and she sarcastically twirled into the far end of the couch.

Bill was standing just inside the door next to Sookie. She couldn't decide whether or not she wanted to read his thoughts. Eric twitched his head, and she decided to heed his warning. She closed the door, and she turned back to Bill. She felt like she should say something but she had no idea as to what. So she said the first thing that came to mind.

"You are looking very handsome tonight Bill." She said trying to keep her tense smile away, he deserved better than her defense mechanism.

He looked at her and just nodded his head without a word.

"Are you okay?" she asked, gesturing to the True Blood in his hands.

Again he nodded. Sadness swelled within her. They couldn't even be friendly. How did they ever get so far away from one another? Bill took a seat in an arm chair next to Eric. Then she saw Eric and she remembered how.

'_That's not true lover_.' Eric told her. '_He's the one that has made mistake after mistake with you. He's the one that didn't trust you enough to hold his secrets. He's the one that hurt you almost to the point of being irreparable. I never would have been able to have stolen you away from him. You're too stubborn and loyal.'_ She smiled a little. _'Not that I would have ever stopped trying to bring you to my side. To tell the truth, after a while I thought that I would have to kill Bill to get you away from him.'_

Sookie smiled even wider now, and tried to hold back her laughter.

'_What's so funny?' _he asked.

'_Kill Bill is the name of a cheesy movie where assassins hack each other to bits in pursuit of a man named Bill.'_

'_Hmm, we will have to watch it sometime. Now come, we need to begin our planning session before we leave. We are already are fifteen minutes behind.'_

Sookie walked over and sat in between Pam and Eric, who took her hand.

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**BILL'S POV **

I drug myself to the small refrigerator in my room. Pam is uncharacteristically silent. This was odd for her; she never missed the chance to tease.

I can't think on that now though, I must replenish. Fucking Eric, taking my blood, and in front of Sookie no less. He just couldn't be happy unless he could humiliate me. It didn't matter that he already had the sun, the earth, and the moon standing by his side. He had to rub it in.

I didn't realize that I had already drank all the bottles of True Blood that were in the fridge until I heard Pam's voice, ordering more to be brought to the room quickly. What is with her?

I pull myself up into the sitting position and lean against the wall next to the fridge. Eric had taken a lot of my blood, but it wasn't so much that a few bottles of synthetic couldn't fix. However, I was still very weak.

Pam grabbed a chair from the desk and sat down in front of me. There was no sneering, no gloating, and no jokes, nothing that was common to her usual behavior. I could tell she was debating on what to say to me so I just sat back and waited as the synthetic blood, slowly worked its way through my body.

"You listen to me Bill Compton." She said in a serious voice. "You cannot continue on the way you are."

I didn't want to hear it so I turned my head to the side and tried to get up, but she pushed me back down and grabbed my face in her iron grip. She forced me to look at her.

"This has gone on long enough." She spat. "You are selfish and you are cruel. You never deserved her to start with. You have no one to blame for her leaving except for yourself."

"I seem to think that I had a little help with that." I countered. "Every chance he got he placed himself in her way. The first time I took her to Fangtasia, he tried to glamour her right there in front of me."

"Yes," she said sarcastically. "And it worked because we all know that Sookie had no mind of her own. She never fought against Eric, and just to be cruel to you she made you keep the truth of why you came back to Bon Temps from her. She made you not tell her that you were being called by your maker, and then she forced Eric and I to tell her that you decided to pension her off. She demanded that Eric send her a Were to help her pretend to look for you at a club where she found the first Fellowship member to stake her. Yes I remember the roses she had me send to him in thanks. She willingly got sent to a mansion full of hungry vampires so that she could save you and become a murderer in the process because she picked a fight with your whore of a maker.

"Yes Bill I can see why you are upset. Though you shouldn't be, you don't deserve a skank like her."

Who the hell did she think she was talking to like that? My blood began to boil, this was besides the point. Everything I had done for Sookie, I had done it for her protection. Eric was the conniving, back stabbing bastard. I couldn't believe that I was once fond of him, even called him friend.

"All I ever did was love her." I told Pam, I was vaguely aware of how my voice could freeze water.

"I know Bill. The problem was not you it's Sookie. She's the one who never trusted you with her secrets, even though she claimed she loved you. She was the one who was unfaithful. She is the one who took advantage of your kind nature, constantly screwing you over, and then when you called her on it she hid behind the fact that she was human and that meant she didn't do things the same way vampires did. She expected you to change everything about yourself, yet she was never willing to meet you half way."

"Enough!" I snarled, knocking her hand away from my face. I jumped to my feet and she did the same. "She was mine and she will be again. He will do nothing but use her, break her, then throw her away."

"Oh," she nodded in understanding. "You are afraid that he will do the same thing to her that you did?"

"I have never intentionally hurt Sookie!"

"Yet she constantly ends up hurt and broken because of you. You are truly cruel Bill Compton. She is finally happy and you can't stand it. You are a weak, lonely, pathetic excuse for a vampire, and you won't be happy until you make her the same way!" She was shaking visibly, but who gives a shit anyway.

I lunged for her throat, anything to shut this stupid nosey bitch up. I had that satisfaction for a moment, and then she pivoted to the right, twisting my arm behind my back. I let out a roar, not of pain but of frustration. I still hadn't had enough of my blood replenished so I couldn't even beat Pam.

"Now, now, now Bill didn't your mother teach you to respect your elders." She taunted and she slammed me against the wall. I would not forget this. If it is the last thing that I do, I will make her pay. "Now that I have you here, let me fill you in on a few things. Sookie never wavered from you. Eric tried his damnedest to get her away from you and she wouldn't even give him a second thought. She loved you. She was loyal to you. You are the one that broke her trust, over and over again. You are the reason that you two are not together anymore. Do you want to know how Eric won her? He finally just sat back and waited for her. He knew that you didn't know what you had. He knew that you were too immature to appreciate a woman like her. So he sat back, and watched you mutilate your relationship."

I pushed with all my might against the wall, and I felt Pam stumble backward. I turned out of her grip but she was at her full strength and she had knocked me to the floor before I could stop her. She straddled my waist and pinned my hands to my chest.

"Every time you say you love her, you are lying." She said. Her voice was soft, almost sad. Was that pity I saw flash in her eyes? The change in her demeanor was enough to still my struggles.

"How is that?" I said through gritted teeth.

"If you truly love her, and I mean honestly and unconditionally, then you would let her try to find her happiness…even if it's not with you. You see, Eric wanted to kill you, just to get you out of the way. In fact I encouraged him to do it. He refused to do it, and I couldn't understand it. He had never hesitated to take anything that he wanted. He would have never let an underling stand between him and a woman he desired. That's when I knew that there was something different about Sookie.

"He watched over her, and found that she was overall happy with you. That is what kept you alive. He would not refuse her if she came to him, but only if she willingly chose to come to him. Now that I look back, I could see the love there, even if he couldn't see it. Even back then, he loved her enough to let her find her happiness, even if it wasn't with him. She chose you, and you fucked it up. Then she chose Quinn, and he fucked it up. He waited for her.

"Now she has chosen him, and you can't stand it. You don't love her Bill. If you did, you would want her to be happy, even if it isn't with you. You view her as a possession, something that is rightfully yours. You don't see her as a person, with the right to choose who she gives her heart to. You only want her because you cannot have her. If she came back to you, you would find a way to fuck it up, because deep down in you-you know that she doesn't belong with you.

"You are selfish Bill. If you truly love her, then you would let her find her happiness wherever she chooses. If she was meant to be with you then she will find her way back to you, despite Eric and their bond. For all of your sakes, you have got to let her go. The tighter you hold on to her, the tighter she holds on to Eric. If you force Eric to kill you, I don't think she could come back from that."

Then she got up and walked into the bathroom, leaving me on the floor. How can she even suggest that I don't love Sookie, everything in my world revolves around her. She is my life force. Am I selfish? No, I love her. I know better than anyone all the pain that I have caused her. Don't they see that I will happily spend the rest of eternity doing penance in her grace? I would happily, publicly be her slave; she could do whatever she wanted with me.

I don't want Eric to hurt her beyond repair. I pushed her so very far and I just know that Eric will push her past her breaking point. How could she not see how cold and calculating he is? How could she not see how much he only wants her as an asset? I have no doubt that she really loves him, but how could he possibly love her? I know him and though I have found him to be a pleasant person to spend time with, I know he is one of the most vampiric vampires I've know. Eric is the essence of what a vampire is. He is the perfect hunter. He is able to blend in with his prey, lulling them into a false sense of security. He's the wolf that convinced the rabbit that they could just be friends. It's in his very nature to gain his prey's trust, and then rip it away when he can't resist the kill anymore. This isn't something that I have assumed. This is what I have observed first hand.

I have never seen someone who so enjoyed playing with the emotions of his food. He builds them up, and makes them feel strong, almost invincible. Then slowly and smoothly he strips away the layers. He strips away the layers, sometimes so softly that his food doesn't even realize what he's doing. By the time, their actual death comes; they welcome it like an old friend.

I will be damned if I let that happen to Sookie. Right now she feels on top of the world, but in the end Eric will twist her soul into something unrecognizable.

There was a light knock on the door. I recovered myself and went to open it. There was a bellhop holding a case of True Blood. I tip him then take the blood, quickly tearing into the box. I don't even bother heating it up. I needed to think. Pam is still hogging the bathroom, but that's just as well, I did want to look at her right now anyway.

How to do it? How can I get Sookie away from Eric? Killing Eric was out of the question, they were too closely bound. The death rate of people that have lost their bonded was not encouraging. No. I had to do something to break the trust she had in him.

I poured over everything I knew about Sookie. She was a loving, giving, and selfless person. She was surrounded by death and therefore revered life, even if it was an undead life. She still cared for me. She still loved me, and she doesn't want Eric to hurt me…

'No Bill you cannot do that.'

'Why not? There's isn't anything worth living for without her.'

'But it will cause her so much pain, and you won't be there to help her through it.'

'True, but I've told her multiple times that I would die for her. Maybe it's time to put up or shut up.'

'Okay let's just say that we do this, we die for Sookie. How do we do this? Do we force Eric's hand? Do we throw our self in front of a speeding bullet? It has to be done just right or it will be all for nothing.'

'True, true.' I pondered my situation for a while. How could I die for her and have it ensure she breaks up with Eric? Would she view it as its intended? Will she see that I truly love her the most because I gave her the best gift someone could give another? Will she see that Eric truly does not care for her? If I don't know anything else about Eric, I know this. He is viciously jealous of his life. If I laid my life down for her, she will see that she won't be put first like she wants to be, she will be distantly down the list.

This is perfect. I know what I must do. I feel a sense of peace run though me. Pam didn't know what the hell she was talking about. Sookie doesn't have to be with me, she just can't be with Eric. She needs someone who is unsullied, and truly loves her for who she is and not what she does. Though I guess I shouldn't worry about the timing. I mean come on; it's never very long until her life is in danger. This is going to work; it has to…

Pam finally came out the bathroom; she was dressed beautifully, even though I would never tell her that. If it were a different time and place I might even enjoy spending a night with her, but she is too much like Eric. He clung to her almost as tightly as he did to Sookie. I finish off the True Blood in my hand and I grab my tuxedo from the closet.

I can see the curious look on her face as she takes in my relaxed features. She relaxes for a moment, but then tenses again. I know she is thinking that I have given in a little too easily. I could see suspicion plaguing her features but I ignore her and go shower. She knows me better than I thought.

The shower water is so relaxing for me. I remember the many showers and baths that Sookie and I once took. I can't help but give myself a long stroke as I see one of my favorite moments play out in front of me.

I had just gotten back from a meeting with Eric at Fangtasia. I walked up the steps to my front door only to find a note there for me.

_To my wonderful love Bill,_

_Good evening Mr. Compton. I hope that you don't mind but I thought you could use a night of relaxation. Please leave all your worries, anger, guilt, or any other negative feeling you may be having on this porch. DO NOT bring anything negative across the threshold. If you need to take some time to get this done, please go ahead, though I wouldn't take too long because I am getting awful lonely on this kitchen table all by my lonesome._

_Sookie_

I couldn't believe my eyes. My Sookie, turning into a sex kitten, and I think I like it. I had been feeling frustrated, Eric has that effect on me, but as soon as I read that note it all evaporated. I sniffed the air, and even through the closed door I could smell her sex, she was very aroused… and very anxious. I believe I could help her with those particular feelings.

I moved through my house at vampire speed to find Sookie, just as the note had promised, on my kitchen table. All the lights were out but there were candles all over the cabinets. I loved how the flickering lights danced across her naked body.

"Welcome home Bill. I thought you might be hungry so I decided to lay out dinner for you." She purred.

I was at the table in a blink of an eye. She was propped up on her elbows, one foot hanging over the end of the table; the other was bent and slightly apart. She was rubbing herself slowly as she looked me directly in the eyes.

"Shall I tell you what is on the menu?" She asked as she slipped two fingers inside herself, a little moan escaping.

I pulled up a chair. "I think I would like to see the dish for myself." I replied. I removed her fingers from herself and licked them clean, getting a small whimper from her.

"Uh, Mr. Compton, I must warn you." She said; her voice a little strained as I was exploring her with my free hand.

"Oh?" was my only reply.

"In The House of Sookie Restaurant, there is a dress code." She gestured to her naked body.

I stood from my chair. "Madame Sookie I apologize for my rudeness, I had no idea." I said with a smirk, and then I quickly freed my body from all clothing. I liked the way her eyes lit up at the sight of my bare flesh. She's seen me naked many, many, many times, but each time her face lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.

I reclaimed my seat. "I hope that I am not being rude, but I have traveled a mighty long way, and I am awful hungry."

She opened her mouth to say something back but it turned into a strangled noise as I dove into her hot pulsating center. I had never been that orally fixated, but Sookie was so sweet I knew that would change very quickly. I gave long lazy licks through her sweet folds making her moan. I swirled my tongue over her swollen nub and she cried out my name. Oh how I love the sound of it on her lips. I insert two fingers and she bucks under me. I continue driving her into incoherent chants that she just can't seem to stop. She's getting close. I can feel her muscles begin to contract. She twines her fingers in my hair, pushing me closer into her core. I insert a third finger and plunge even deeper into her depths and her muscles seizes my fingers, holding them into place. I tease her nub as she releases her essence into my awaiting mouth. Truly only her blood can compare to this. She is the sweetest thing I have ever tasted.

I refrain from feeding off of her just yet. I know more is to come and I want her to be at full strength. As her body relaxes, she runs her hands through my hair again.

"Bill you are truly the best." She tells me.

"I am your only." I point out. I love it when she tells me how good I am.

"Yes, but with you here, there is never a reason to try to disprove this fact; I can't imagine anyone being half as talented at you are." She coos.

I smile. "Thank you my darling, but I must say that you bring out the best in me. Now that we have had an appetizer, what is the main course?"

"Eager much?" She laughs.

"Well ma'am as a paying customer, I would like to get my money's worth." I inform her.

She hops off of the table and takes my hand. "You are correct Mr. Compton; The House of Sookie Restaurant is here to please. If you would follow me, my good sir you will have your main course. Then, if you have saved room, there will be a very nice dessert."

I nod my head, and I let her lead me upstairs, and into the master bathroom. She turns on the shower and then pulls me in behind her.

"Welcome home Bill." She says, dropping the game and wrapping her arms around my neck. I wrap mine arm her waist and gently massage her ass. I love her body, she is so tight and firm, she is everything I could ever want.

"Thank you, this is the best welcome I have ever had."

"I am glad you enjoyed it. You have been on my mind all day." She smiles and then kisses me sweetly. I know that she can still taste herself on my lips, and that seems to excite her even more.

I deepen the kiss, and she grants my tongue access into her warm mouth. I caress her tongue with mine and they dance together in perfect harmony. She really has become a wonderful kisser.

My fangs extend but I am careful not to cut her. Then she does something that utterly amazes me. She runs her tongue over my fangs. I pull back and look her in the eyes. I see purity, and trust, and love. I see my future and it is an amazing existence. I kiss her more passionately now and press her body against the wall. She moans into my mouth and slides one of her legs up to my waist so that she could grind herself against me. I am already hard and alert and ready, the sensations that I get from her gyrating against me are amazing. A moan escapes my lips even though I tried with all my might to keep quiet.

I can't take it anymore. I wrap my hand around her raised thigh and I plunged deep into her depths.

"Bill, oh yes Bill!" She screamed out. I move rapidly within her, laying my claim to something that has only been mine. She becomes even more incoherent and it drives me wilder. I thrust harder into her, making my name the only understandable thing on her tongue. She raises her other leg and I catch it.

She wrapped her arms even closer around me and pulled my mouth to hers as and I fuck her with complete abandon. I can feel her muscles start to spasm around my length and I speed my pace.

"Come with me Bill." She moans in a brief moment of clarity. Her wish is my command. I buck with every stroke and just as I feel her muscles tightened around me and I bite her neck. She screams out and pulls me closer to her. I drink deeply from her. She is the best tasting human I have ever had. Her blood is better than even the Royal Blend synthetic blood.

As aftershocks rippled through our bodies, I lick the wounds on her neck. It is a few minutes before she is able to regain control over her limbs.

"I really do love you Bill." Sookie murmured.

The memory of her declaring her love after two sessions of amazing sex was more then I could bear. My stroke sped up looking for a release under this pulsating shower head. "I really do love you Bill." Her voice sounded in my head again, and it was enough to send me over the edge. I came hard, harder than I expected with just the declaration of her love. I roared out, her name on my lips.

I stood under the spout for a minute to regain my senses. I felt invigorated. As I stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around myself, I realized that I was breathing, the way Sookie liked me to after we had sex. Okay that hurt, but it's okay. I can bide my time. If it's my last act on this earth, I will get Sookie away from Eric.

I went back into the bedroom where Pam is no longer at; I can hear her moving around in the sitting room. I got dressed as fast as I possibly could. I checked myself in the bathroom mirror one last time before I walked out into the sitting room with Pam.

"Are you ready?" I ask.

She eyes me suspiciously but then nods. She picks up a six pack of True Blood and hands it to me. Without a single word, we walked across the hall and knocked on Sookie's door (I refuse so say Eric and Sookie's door, I may not be human but I am pretty sure I could still vomit).

Sookie answered the door. I paused in the middle of swallowing because she is just stunning. Her hair is pulled up and very modest, as is her jewelry; but her dress tells the story of her wild spirit. She looks absolutely stunning.

I quickly swallowed my blood and tried to regain my senses as she and Pam exchange pleasantries.

When I walked in the door, we were awkward. She tried to greet me, being the southern belle that she is she couldn't just ignore me, but I said as little as possible to her. I know I must at least pretend as if I am complying with Eric. I will wait, bide my time. I will not be foolhardy and I will get what I want.

I walked past her and sat in the arm chair next to the bastard and I waited. She was still by the door, but just when I got ready to look and see if everything was alright she joined Eric and Pam on the couch. They joined hands, and for the second time tonight I tried to resist vomiting.

"Well, what do you have to report?" Eric asked, leaving it open for either Pam or I to answer him.

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Eric was irritated that neither of them answered his question, Pam felt this and jumped in with her report.

"There is solid security throughout the city. When we left, we were followed, but we managed to lose them. We were unable to trap them, whoever they are. We placed all four cars, one on each side as you wanted. The closest one is the one to the east at five mile, then the north at seven miles, then the west at seven and a half miles, and finally south at ten miles. All cars are black Camry's and they all have their keys in them. They are all facing against the traffic of the street."

"What about security?" Eric asked.

"There are check in stations within blocks of the mansion. They have double lists, from what I could see. It was pretty tight."

"That's what we expected." Eric replied. "Bill do you have anything."

"No, I saw the same things Pam did. I don't see how anyone would be able to get through, unless it's an inside job."

"What's with the cars?" Sookie questioned.

"Well dear one, we just wanted to make sure that we had multiple escape routes." Eric said. "I had Bill and Pam plant four cars a few miles from the mansion. If anything happens we would go for the cars. Bill is to go North, Pam is to go south, and the East and West cars are just in case cars."

"What about us?" She asked.

"Well I am going to stay by your side the whole night. If there is trouble, I will just fly us out. If for any reason I am unable to fly us out, we will head for the East car since it is the closest.

"Now, we will all head back here. Pam and Bill, if you make it here first, wait until you absolutely have to go to the airport. Sookie, if for any reason we are separated, you must not look for me; just head to the east car. I will meet you there. If I am not there when you get there just leave and come back to the hotel. I have packed a small bag for us so that we can leave without anyone seeing. Come here, grab the bag then head straight for the airport. Do not for any reason linger here okay?"

Sookie nodded.

"Okay, at the very least I will meet you at the airport."

"Where is the plane going?" she asked.

"It will take us back to Bon Temps."

She nodded her understanding and Eric stood.

"Okay, there should be no reason for worry, but now that we have our escape plan, we can go." The others stood too. "Pam and Bill, you know your jobs for the night?"

They nodded.

"Good, bring the car around and we will meet you down stairs." He told them. They nodded and left.

"What is it Eric? Why aren't we going down with them?" Sookie asked.

"Because I need to call Felipe; Stan will have expected it of me."

"Oh, okay."

She sat back down and she watched as Eric pulled out his cell phone and dialed. Someone one must have been waiting on a call because they answered almost as soon as he pressed send.

"This is Sherriff Northman from Area 5, I need to speak with king De Castro." Eric said. He waited for a few moments and then continued, "Okay, but please inform him that this is of the up most importance."

Sookie walked over to the door and waited because it sounded to her like the conversation was over.

Right on cue Eric closed the phone and walked over to her. "Shall we go my lady?" His eyes danced wickedly as he bowed a bit.

She smiled. "As you wish my good sir," and she curtseyed.

Bill and Pam were not exaggerating at all when they were talking about the security. Sookie looked out of the limo window to see them approaching their check point.

There were big burly men with electronic clipboards taking peoples name. One of the men was circling each car very slowly. It seemed like an odd thing for someone to be doing; he didn't have a clipboard or anything else in his hands, he was just walking around each car as they came to the check point.

'_He's checking for explosives and guns.'_ Eric told her.

'_He can smell explosives and guns?'_ Sookie asked in disbelief, she knew that supes had acute senses but that was ridiculous.

'_Yes we can smell explosives, and it's not so much the guns we smell but the powder inside the bullets. Guns are made of metal but to the scent that can be almost anything.'_ Was he smug?

'_Wow.'_ Was all she could reply.

It was their turn at the check point and their window rolled down, Sookie was fascinated by the men.

"Names." The first one said. He looked like he would tower over Eric, and he was massive. His voice was gruff and Sookie couldn't help but wonder where he found a suit that would cover him. He was a Were-?!

Sookie turned her head to Eric, who's eyes were dancing with amusement. "How can that be?" she asked Eric.

"He's one of the last of his kind still here in the United States."

"Names," his gruff voice asked again.

"Can I?" Sookie asked Eric, he nodded.

"Eric Northman, Sookie Stackhouse, Bill Compton, and Pam…" She looked confused at Pam. As long as she's known Pam, she's never known what last name she uses. How odd, to know consider someone a friend and even trust them with your life…and have no idea of their last name.

She smiled at Sookie's confusion. "Childs" she said.

"Pamela Childs." Sookie told the were.

He grunted at her and he began doing whatever it was he did on that electronic clipboard. Sookie was trying to be discreet but she couldn't help but stare at the man. His skin had odd contrasts to it, like looking baby soft yet tough as leather. She wanted to reach out and touch it.

'_I wouldn't recommend it without asking first.'_ Eric teased.

The were's eyes flashed back to hers. "Is there something I can help you with?" he asked a little bit irritated at her scrutiny.

"I'm sorry," Sookie said, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. She sat back in her seat. "I've just never met a Were-elephant before." She tried to explain.

His body went completely still. Eric pulled her close to his side. The Were bent down and peered in at her. He looked as if he was trying to figure out a puzzle. Pam and Bill tensed in case it got violent. Then he smiled at her and she could see the twinkle in his eyes.

"You said Sookie Stackhouse, correct?" he asked. She nodded. "I am Tolan (Toe-lawn), it is very nice to meet you little one. I have heard great things about you."

Sookie stared at him in astonishment. She didn't get to say anything though. Tolan looked at Bill and Pam, and then Eric and nodded before he stood.

"Let them through." He said to the other were's, a bear, a lion, and a wolf. She felt the blanks of vampires around too but she could not see them.

"Sorry I couldn't restrain myself better Eric." She said.

"Don't worry about it lover." Eric replied with a kiss to her temple. "Tonight is about you; you should try and enjoy yourself."

Sookie snorted. "Yes, because we all know I love being the center of attention."

"You really should enjoy this Sookie." Pam said. "It's not often that a human is the guest of honor at a vampire banquet."

"Okay, Pam have it your way, but I am going to redirect any creepy undead people your way."Sookie smiled.

She laughed. "No problem, I will pass them on to Bill." Bill frowned and everyone burst into laughter. Bill rolled his eyes.

"We're here." Eric announced. "Pam, Bill, make sure you check the perimeter. We aren't as early as I would have liked to have been but we will manage. Sookie, I want you to try and identify all those that are there but that you don't see." They all nodded just as the door was opened by a duck looking man in a suit. He was short with yellow tinged skin and a big nose.

Sookie expected him to quack at them but he greeted them politely and motioned for them to go to the front door, and he turned to the next limo that had pulled up behind theirs. Sookie could see that he was human, and rather smug to be a trusted member of Stan's staff.

She rolled her eyes; clearly he had no idea who his boss was if he thought he would trust an average human. She wasn't the average human but she seriously doubted that he trusted her. Maybe he did for her to do what she did well, but that's about as far as it went.

The front door of the house was standing open and they all glided past a woman who was checking coats, it was a warm nights no none of them had even bothered. The house looked the same as last night minus the hustle and bustle of workers. She could see waitresses walking among the guests with trays of blood and champagne in crystal flutes.

Sookie was looking around with rapt fascination because last night she was so stressed that she wasn't able to take in her surroundings. She could see that the entire house was decorated in understated luxury. The cream walls were decorated with massive paintings some looked very old. She had no doubt that these were all originals.

"Oh my God Eric." Sookie said and stopped midstride at a particular painting that had caught her eye. They were in what she would call a great room, and over the massive marble fireplace was a painting of a young woman holding a parasol. Eric pulled her through the thin crowd to the fireplace for a closer look.

"Do you know this lover?" He asked. Of course he knew it, over the centuries he developed a taste for all kinds of art. Though Monet was not an overwhelming favorite, some of his work did strike him.

"Yes, when I was little Gran gave me an art book. We had been to the art museum in Shreveport and I really liked the art exhibits. She gave me the art book, and it had some of the world's most famous paintings in it. This one was one of her favorites, it was mine too. I used to make up stories like I was her; and in each story I would be on my way to different places, to do different things with different people. Sometimes I would even just play in the meadow. My full skirt would fly in the wind, and I would dance to the songs of nature. I love this painting."

"That is a beautiful picture, you have painted of yourself. We should make it a reality."

She pulled her eyes away from the painting to look at her Viking. He has that look in his eyes that always makes her stomach tie itself in knots. She felt the lust come through the bond strong and clear. She closed her eyes trying to savor it, at the same time biting the inside of her cheek so that she didn't make any noise.

"I think that we could make a beautiful song in nature," he purred in her ear. "I would definitely have you dancing." It was a good thing that he had his arm around his waist, because her knees were feeling distinctly weak.

Eric smiled then slowly pulled her away from the paintings and they continued their walk with the flow of the small crowd.

"Where are Bill and Pam?" she asked, she'd just barely noticed that they were no longer with them.

"Looking around." He replied airily.

They wound their way to the back of the house where the back wall was solid glass panels. They were pushed back on each other so that you could step directly onto the patio.

There were circular tables with white linen everywhere and at the very back was a wide table that sat up higher than the rest. That was clearly the table for the king and his important guests. All of the tables had a hurricane vase with a large white candle inside it. There were small wreaths of white and crème flowers surrounding it, then flower petals all over the table. The aroma of the flowers clung to the air. It was so intoxicating, but not at all overpowering.

To the right of the tables was a dance floor, and to the left of the tables was a buffet (of both the living and cooked variety). Sookie shuddered at the sight of the three rows of donors on each side of the buffet table, but they were all there willingly (she had the oddest sense of déjà vu). There were twinkling lights everywhere and large vases of mixed white and crème colored flowers. It was beautiful.

"Wow, this is so beautiful." She said to Eric. "It looks just like a dream."

"I'm glad you like it." A voice said behind them. "That's why they pay me the big bucks."

They turned to see Quinn walking towards them. Eric hid Sookie behind his body.

"Don't worry Northman, I come in peace." Quinn said raising his hands in surrender. "I just wanted to talk to Sookie."

"So talk." Eric said through gritted teeth, still holding Sookie firmly behind him.

"I said to talk to Sookie, not to you." Quinn said calmly.

"Well, this is as close as you're getting to my bonded tonight so if you have something to say, now would be the time to do it."

Quinn huffed. "Sookie, please?" he asked as if Eric was not even there.

Sookie began to move but Eric held her firmly.

'_No!' _he said as if that were the end of the matter.

'_Eric, you are not my father. Quinn won't hurt me, don't worry.'_ She tried to send reassuring feelings through the bond. It didn't work.

'_So you want me to trust the same man that betrayed you?'_ he asked acidic.

'_That doesn't matter anymore Eric. Listen to his mind. He doesn't want to hurt me. He just wants to apologize.'_ Eric didn't care; if he truly wanted to apologize he would just do it, no matter who was around.

'_Let's compromise.'_ Sookie suggested. _'How about I only step partially from behind you, that way he can see me, and we can stop looking like we are all about to fight.'_

Eric didn't answer her, he just let go of her arm and she took a half step to the left so that she was only partially obscured from Quinn's view.

He smiled. "You look absolutely breathtaking tonight bab-Sookie."

"Get on with it before I take your breath tiger." Eric snarled.

Quinn frowned at him for a moment. This wasn't going how he had planned. He thought that he would be able to talk to Sookie alone, but now he could see that Eric wasn't going to let her out of his sight. He didn't like this. Sookie has always been so independent, now she was tethered to Eric like a puppy on a leash. Why couldn't she see him for the monster he was? She broke up with him when all he tried to do was protect her, but he had no problem being with someone who was specifically designed to be a killer. He was a monster, a murderer, a selfish, uncaring, deceitful killer that didn't care about anything except making his money and screwing anything that moved. He was enjoying his toy right now but soon something newer would come along and he would toss her out like last week's trash. He wouldn't even think twice about it. Well maybe he would, they had a blood bond, so maybe he would just kill her instead. And here she as, a lamb happily going to the butchers block.

Sookie was shaking with anger. Tears welled up in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. She stepped back behind Eric so that he couldn't see the hurt in her eyes. When she moved it brought Quinn out of his thoughts and he looked back at Sookie just in time to see her watery eyes as she disappeared behind Eric again.

"Sookie?" he asked, wondering what was wrong with her.

"She can hear you, you striped bag of fleas!" Eric growled. Quinn opened his mouth to speak but Eric cut across him. "If you ever come near her again I will kill you. Keep your apologies, keep your explanations, and keep away or else I will go to the ends of the earth to end your life. No messages, no letters, no calls, no messengers."

Quinn began to growl but Eric wasn't done. "If I smell anything remotely close to you, I won't end just you. I will go after your precious sister and your loon of a mother, you know I will. Now I suggest you walk away before I have to start the hunt tonight."

Quinn seemed to be frozen where he was. He could tell that Eric was serious. He took a deep breath and then disappeared into the growing crowd.

Eric turned to Sookie and looked into her eyes. "Are you okay, my love?" he asked gently.

Sookie nodded, she didn't trust her voice just yet. Eric kissed her eyes, and then took her to the bar, that was on the patio.

"Gin and tonic," Eric told the bartender.

The drink was nice and cool on her throat and she felt her nerve return.

"Thank you." She said to Eric.

"Anytime lover."

"You wouldn't really go after his family would you?" She couldn't help but to ask.

"Yes, if he forced me to." He said; but then silently thought _'No, I would just kill him so that there is no need to go after them.'_ He continued aloud also. "He needs to know that I will not allow anymore harm of any kind to come to you. It is worth it to kill them all just to erase the headache."

Sookie nodded. She didn't like it at all, she knew he was serious. He would kill Quinn; but then Quinn is a smart man. He wouldn't risk the lives of his family, no matter what. She knew it wouldn't come to that. Eric needed to make the threat real and she knew better than to argue with him on it, least of all in the middle of a now crowded party. Besides, they could always revisit the issue if it becomes necessary.

"How many people did king Stan say would be here?" Sookie asked; she just wanted to think of anything except Quinn.

"He didn't." Eric replied. "But there are thirty tables with ten chairs at each, not counting the main table."

'_Three hundred guests! Is he crazy?' _she yelled in her head.

"No I would imagine that some kingdoms have multiple tables. I see two for Florida, and also two for Georgia also."

"Oh my goodness Eric, this is out of control." She sighed.

"True, but we may as well enjoy it."

A band began playing soft music. There was no one on the dance floor but that didn't matter to Eric. He dragged Sookie over, knowing how much she enjoyed dancing. They began to twirl around the dance floor in perfect sync. Everyone else disappeared, and it was just them in their own world. They weren't even aware when others had joined them on the dance floor. Sookie felt safe and secure; and for the first time since they had arrived she was happy and enjoying herself.

An easy smile settled on her lips as Eric twirled her around this way and that, and he lifted her up in the air just like he did in Rhodes; and just like then she laughed and spread her arms as she flew through the air.

'_This must me what Heaven is like.'_ Sookie thought blissfully.

'_Anywhere I am with you is Heaven lover.'_ Eric told her. As the song ended Eric dipped her and placed a light kiss over her breast. They came back into the world to the sound of claps around them. As they looked around the crowd, the vampires looked very…hungry, and the humans looked starry eyed.

Joe was standing at the edge of the dance floor, and motioned for them to come.

"My Ms. Stackhouse, you looked amazing out there on the floor. You are a wonderful dancer." He complimented taking his time looking at her dress.

"Thank you Joe, it's easy to look good when you have a strong partner to lead you." Sookie replied. She could feel Eric's pride flow through the bond.

"Ah yes, I am sure." He glanced at Eric and seemed to regain himself. "The banquet is about to begin, and the king wanted me to escort you to your seats. They are right next to his."

Hmm, how did she guess that? Sookie was wishing that she made a bet with Eric; he loved to gamble with her, and she was sure that her seat would be directly next to Stan's.

'_I would be a fool to take that bet…unless you are offering some interesting stakes.'_ He thought at her.

'_You can pick them.' _She thought back to her instantdread.

'_We could break in our thrones.'_ Eric thought, trying to sound off handed.

'_You want me to-'_Did he just say _our_ thrones? _'What do you mean our thrones?'_ She demanded. He didn't have to say a word. She could see it clearly in his head.

A smaller throne sitting next to his at Fangtasia. '_Eric, what have you done?'_ she asked, completely horrified.

'_Nothing, I thought that you would want to sit with me every once in a while.'_ He said, trying to look innocent. _'Don't you want to be by my side?'_ he tried to sound hurt.

'_They're going to hate me there.'_ She said, trying to be logical. _'I don't want to cause any trouble in your club.'_

'_Exactly Sookie, it's _my_ club. The vampires may not like it but they will respect it, and who cares about the humans?'_

'_I do. I care, they are already crazy to be with you, if I sat by your side in my own throne, they will try to hurt me.'_

'_And I will kill them.'_

'_You are incredible.'_

'_Thank you lover, but these are the terms. If you are right, you will have to sit with me twice a week for the next year.'_

'_No, that's crazy! How about one month.'_

'_How about eleven months?'_

'_Okay, three months.'_

'_Eight months.'_

'_Eric eight months is not fair, you know I am going to be right.'_

'_Of course I know that. And Eight months is as low as I am going. I don't think that you would want to hear my backup bet.'_

Sookie saw a bed on the stage of a crowded Fangtasia with him and her standing next to it dressed in black robes.

'_You wouldn't!'_ she gasped.

'_Oh wouldn't I?'_

'_Fine, eight months.'_ She pouted. She didn't think he would do that but why push her luck?

'_You're right. I would never do that. What we do is strictly between us.' _He said as they reached the main table and began to climb the stairs._ 'Unless that is something you will enjoy. Then I would happily oblige… though I may have to kill everyone in the club afterwards.'_

Just as she suspected, there was her name tag right next to the center chair. She huffed as Eric pulled out her seat.

"The king is about to make his entrance in just a few minutes. After the dining is done, the dance will commence." Joe said with a wink to Sookie.

"Do I need to address you behavior towards my bonded?" Eric asked menacingly. He hadn't taken his seat yet and he towered over Joe, who seemed to be shrinking.

"No disrespect was intended, Sherriff." Joe replied.

Just then the band stopped in the middle of their song and everyone turned to face the giant glass windows.

Stan appeared out of nowhere. Everyone stood and bowed. Sookie could tell who the kings and queens were because they only inclined their head, where as everyone else bowed at the waist. As usual, Sookie was belated in her movements of respect. She would never get used to being an American and bowing to someone. She had barely gotten used to the idea of vampire kings and queens.

Stan looked amazing. He had a part off center, and his locks were artfully gelled back. He had on a pair of glasses still, but they were less nerdy looking. _'His formal nerd-ware'_ Sookie thought (Eric smirked). He had on a charcoal tux with an ash tie and a crisp white shirt. Sookie could definitely see how he would be Pam's type.

Then again, Stan has always been handsome, despite how he dressed himself. The nerd look just took you a few seconds longer to zero in on the fact that he was anything but.

He stood for a moment and then waved his hand and everyone stood back up. He glided through the throngs of party goers to his chair, which was elevated a little from the others at the main table. Instead of sitting he waved his hands again and everyone moved into their seats. Sookie was glad that Eric was there to tell her what she should be doing, so that she wouldn't look like a complete county bumpkin.

"Welcome fellow kings and queens, and other valued guests. This is a celebration for the dedication for the works and services of Sookie Stackhouse." He held out his hand and Sookie reluctantly took it. "She has proven herself time and time again to be a valuable and loyal part of our society." Stan's voice boomed out.

"All of you know of her works even if you have never met her. You have heard of her tolerance, and of her bravery, and of how she has many, many friends throughout the magical world. You have heard of how she can walk among any and all of us, vampires, weres, witches and find many friends."

Sookie began to blush. She was wondering where this was going and hoped that it would get there fast. She could feel the hundreds of eyes that were upon her, evaluating her, seeing if what she looked like checked with the stories they had heard.

She saw a slight movement to her right and she looked to find Luna sitting at a table full of other handsome weres. Luna smiled at her and waved again. Sookie smiled, a genuine smile, and nodded to her one time rescuer. She relaxed a bit more, seeing other friendly faces that she had no idea would be there. Alcide was sitting at a table with a few from his pack that she recognized, he smiled at her-she smiled and nodded in return. At the same table was Calvin and Sam and, to her irritation Jason. She had no idea they all would be here. When she locked eyes with each they smiled reassuringly at her. She could feel herself getting choked up.

Stan must have felt it too because he began to rub circles on the back of her hand. She wasn't sure what to make of this and she looked at him. As he continued to speak, he turned his head towards her and nodded slightly raising his eyebrows.

'_He's wondering if you are okay. He's trying to reassure you.'_ Eric supplied helpfully for her.

She smiled at Stan and squeezed his hand so that he would know she was okay because he had turned back to the crowd.

Sookie found the table of friendly faces again, and let her heart grow. _'Did you know about this?' _She asked Eric.

'_Yes, but they didn't want me to tell you. They wanted to surprise you. They figured that you could use a friendly face or two, especially since you are being honored.'_

'_They were right. Thank you so much for this Eric, you are so wonderful.'_

'_Anything to make you happy lover.'_

She tuned back into Stan's speech, after all it is about her. She saw Frannie, standing at the back next to Quinn. She was cutting daggers at Sookie, and Quinn was quite expressionless-it was a very good imitation of a vampire.

"She has helped me on multiple occasions, and it is with this in mind that I formally offer her my protection." The already quiet crowd became deafeningly quiet. Even their thoughts had gone blank.

'_Can I have the protections of two kings?'_ Sookie asked Eric quickly.

'_Yes you can, besides if you refuse it will be a great insult.'_

Stan took a step away from Sookie, though he was still holding her hand, and turned his whole body to face her. He looked at her expectantly.

"I am deeply humbled and honored by your gift great king." Sookie said. "You are most kind and generous to offer such a thing to me, who is most unworthy."

"I have deemed you worthy, and it pleases me that you have accepted." Stan's eyes blazed into hers. She wasn't sure what he was thinking, but she had the feeling that she didn't want to.

_'And you would be right.' _Eric chimed in a rather strained voice.

"Northman," Stan said, and Eric stood by Sookie's side facing the king. "You are the bonded of Sookie Stackhouse, is that correct?" He asked unnecessarily. Sookie guessed that it was to announce it to all those that didn't know them personally. "Being bonded is sacred among our kind. To bond with someone is something that should not be entered into lightly. As Sookie's bonded, my protection naturally extends to you as well, because to hurt one is to hurt the other."

Eric nodded. "I am honored." Was Eric's only reply.

Stan motioned for them to take their seats again, which they happily did.

_'I was worried for a moment; I thought that we would have to do a blood exchange.'_ Sookie admitted.

_'No, it's more of when we call on him for help. Besides, I wouldn't allow your blood to be spilled here. You intoxicate me, but because we are bonded and I am so old I can restrain myself. There's no telling what would happen if your blood was out in the open.'_

_'Thanks for making me feel so very safe Northman.'_

He smirked._ 'You know I do what I can.' _Then he took her hand._ 'I would never allow harm to come to you lover.'_

Stan finally finished his speech and sat down. "You look wonderful tonight Sookie." He said.

"Well I guess that's a step up from being an agreeable package." Sookie said before she thought it through.

Stan raised one eyebrow and Sookie could have sworn that she saw the ends of his lips twitch.

"Indeed." He finally said, and then turned to the vampire on his other side.

_'Nice one Sookie.'_ Eric teased. _'Insulting a king ten seconds after he offers you his protection.'_

_'I didn't mean to, it just kind of slipped out.' _Eric's mental laughter came through loud and clear, on his face was an easy smile she doubts many have seen._ 'Besides, it's odd when he is being so nice to me. It was much easier when he treated me like a second class citizen, at least then I knew where I stood.'_

More laughter. Sookie ground her teeth.

_'Do you know these people we are sitting with?' she asked just to get the laughing to stop._

_'Yes.' Eric said, but of course he knew everyone. 'Starting to the left is Abimelech, king of Oklahoma. Next to him of course is Russell'_ He noticed her stare and winked at her, she smiled back. She's always had a grudging liking for the king of Mississippi, she just couldn't help it. _'Next would be Joseph Addison, the king of Alabama. On my side you have first Queen Arsinoe (said ARE-sin-No) of Florida.'_

_'Queen Arsinoe? You mean like Cleopatra's traitorous sister?'_ Sookie asked. She had read a biography of Cleopatra and she remembered liking the name Arsinoe, until she read what she had done.

Eric looked at her astonished. _'Lover, you never cease to amaze me. Yes, exactly like her.'_

_'She's not…'_ Sookie began she wasn't quite sure of how to ask the question.

_'No.'_ Eric said understanding her. _'If one of them had been made a vampire I think it would have been Queen Cleopatra.'_ Sookie was about to ask when he kept going down his side of the table. _'Next is king Joshua from Georgia; and finally we have queen Elizabeth Laurent of the Carolinas.'_

_'Both Carolina's?' _Sookie asked. Eric nodded once. _'How did she manage that?'_

_'It's quite an interesting story, but I will tell you later.'_

Dinner was being served and the band started back up so that everyone would have music with their meal. Sookie was served steak and mashed potatoes with steamed baby carrots, and a spinach salad. Her mouth watered at the food placed before her. She didn't realize how hungry she was until the food was in front of her.

She noted that the vampires were choosing from a small menu. A large goblet was placed in front of them once they had chosen. Normally she would have asked his preference but she was too busy grubbing, while trying to make it look like she was a civilized lady. She noticed the lull in conversation and she figured that everyone else was doing the same thing as her.

When she was done, her plate was promptly taken away and another dish was placed in front of her. Key lime pie; she hadn't had it since Gran was alive; her heart ached just a bit.

_'What is it lover?'_ Eric asked concernedly.

_'It's nothing, I'm just being stupid.' She said; he waited. 'It's just that this pie reminded me of Gran.'_

_'I'm sorry, lover. I know you miss her.' He said. 'Think how proud of you she would be right now.'_

_'How so?' she asked._

_'Think about it, the last time you saw her, you were still a little girl who was afraid of her gift. Now you are a strong woman who has embraced who she is and is proud. I think, from what you have told me about her, she would be very proud of you. You have found your place in life.'_

_'Please stop before you make me cry.' _She pleaded, trying to hold back the tears. Her own stubbornness is the only thing that kept her from actually crying, she refused to cry in front of all these strangers.

_'Eat the pie and be proud. Be happy when you think of her._' Eric squeezed her hand and then handed her a fork so that she could eat. She took it and smiled. It wasn't as good as her Gran's but it was still wonderful, she made short (yet ladylike) work of it.

When she was done, she looked over at Eric, who was positively rosy, and said "Have I told you how sexy you look tonight in that suit?"

"No," he smiled. "But you can show me how much you like it on the dance floor.

"Deal; I'll meet you there."

"And I will hold you to it."

After a while the volume started to slowly rise again as everyone finished their meals, Sookie tried not to notice the new crop of blood donors.

Stan rose to his feet and everyone instantly quieted. "I would like to start the evening's dance, the first dance I shall ask Mrs. Stackhouse to accompany me; with the permission of her bonded of course. Eric nodded and Stan offered Sookie his hand.

For the second time tonight she found herself holding hands with Stan, and she didn't like it one bit. Eric was sending her reassurance, but she was sending him back annoyance, and he was trying to squash his amusement.

Stan led her to the dance floor and he took Sookie's waist with his fee hand.

"You are a fine dancer Ms. Stackhouse." He said as if no one could hear him.

"Thank you your majesty." Sookie replied politely, trying to keep her strained smile from getting too big.

"You are tense?" He asked, as if he were trying to figure out a puzzle.

"Not really, I am just not used to dancing with kings." She covered hope that the flattery would derail him. It didn't.

"But I am still that same Sherriff that you met on your first trip to Dallas." He pressed.

"Yes and no." She had no idea where this honestly kick was coming from but she was running with it. He nodded for her to continue. "Yes you are the same man I met those years ago. You terrify me now, as you did then; but back then you were just a Sherriff, now you are Stan king of Texas. The title alone is intimidating; add that to your personality, and it's hard to even think straight. No one out ranks you; you're the top notch on the totem pole. It's very hard to think straight around you."

He seemed to be amused with her. She didn't realize she was saying anything amusing but then again, she was crazy Sookie so you never know.

"You seem to be doing a good job of it now." Stan pointed out.

"Yes well, when you can't think of anything else to say, the truth usually works." That got a smile out of him. She didn't know if she should be happy or a little more nervous about that.

"You have no reason to fear me Sookie. When you worked for me you went above and beyond duty, and even when you weren't working for me you still managed to help save my life, along with many others. You have my protection. I will not harm you."

She really didn't want to say anything else, she wanted to concentrate on willing the music to end so that she could go and find Eric.

_'I am here lover. You look beautiful out there, even if you are in Stan's nerdy arms.'_

She smiled a genuine smile at that and Stan thought that she was loosening up to him.

_'Can you bring Pam; I think I need her distraction right about now.'_

_'Of course lover.'_

True to his word, when the song was winding down Stan danced her over to Eric's waiting arms. Pam was standing right next to him.

"Thank you for the dance Ms. Stackhouse." Stan said as he released her waist. "Pam would you like to dance?" Pam happily agreed and they were out twirling on the dance floor without so much as a backwards glace.

"Is it time for me to make good on that offer?" Sookie asked Eric coyly.

"Of course." He said. "You didn't think I let you out of it that easily did you?"

She sighed. "Well I guess I'd better suck it up."

Eric laughed and pulled her onto the floor. "Calm down lover, that's for later." Sookie laughed right along with him.

A singer came out but she was just a thin blur of black dress and white skin to Sookie. It was amazing that she saw that much because her eyes were only for Eric. Everyone's minds were sending out happy thoughts and vibes and that only increased her own. The song ended and another began. This was a favorite of Sookie's so she paid attention to the words and spoke them to Eric (she didn't want to ruin the mood by trying to sing).

"If you're lost you can look and you will find me, time after time. If you fall I will catch you I'll be waiting, time after time; time after time."

Eric smiled down at her, reveling in her voice and in the words she was speaking. Sookie realized that she was dancing with her vampire husband (there was just no other word to call him anymore. Though it wasn't legal, it definitely couldn't be more real.), and she was surrounded by vampires. She was speaking a song about love, and that love never leaving but helping and holding them up.

"What's wrong Sookie?" Eric asked aloud. '_Your thoughts are swirling so fast I can barely make them out._' He added silently.

"I was just thinking about this song. Eric, I know that we haven't really talked about me either dying or becoming a vampire. I just want you to know that I will always come back to you."

"If you let me turn you, you would never leave me." He replied.

"I know, but I still don't know if I want that; but you have to know that if something happens to me and it's too late to turn me, take care of yourself. I will come back to you."

"Sookie, don't be so-"

"Please let me say this Eric." He nodded. "Nothing will ever keep me away from you, so you are going to have to keep an eye out for me. I may come back as black or white or Mexican or Chinese or whatever. Please keep an open mind, and please take care of you no matter what. It may be ten years, or a hundred, or another thousand, but I will come back to you. And you have to make sure that you are here for me to come back to. Promise me."

"Sookie-" Eric began.

"No, please, just promise me." She pleaded.

"I promise. I will be here and I will spend the rest of eternity looking for you if I have to. When I find you again, I will remind you of why you loved me so much that you had to bug your God to reincarnate you just so that you can come back to me."

Sookie smiled. "I love you Eric."

Eric smiled. "And I love you too, you big softy." Sookie giggled as he intended and they left the heaviness of the moment behind.

Sookie caught a glimpse of Sam on the dance floor with Luna, they looked good together. She hoped that it turned into something for them, they would be great together.

"Eric, where is Amelia? I wouldn't have thought she would have missed this for anything." Sookie asked.

"She didn't pick up when I called the house, and she didn't return my messages. You said that she and Octavia were on a retreat…from you that is," She smacked him in the arm but he just laughed and they kept moving. "I figured that they stayed a couple extra days where ever they went."

"Yeah, maybe you're right." She tried to convince herself. She hadn't thought about Amelia because she was so wrapped up in herself. She couldn't shake the feeling that something just wasn't right. Amelia would at the very least leave her a message on her cell phone to say that she was staying later; but her cell was lost in the rubble of Eric's house so there was no way for her to check.

Eric could feel her preoccupation and her worry. "Lover, if they aren't back when we get home then we will start looking for them okay?"

"I don't know Eric." She wanted to do something now.

"There's nothing we can do from here Sookie. I am sure that they just decided to stay a few extra days. I promise that if they aren't back by the time we get home then we won't rest until we find them."

She thought about it, and of course he was right (she was really getting tired of him being right all the time). "Okay, fine." She gave in.

"Sookie." Eric murmured in that voice that made her knees weak. He pulled her body closer to his and he bent down so he would whisper in her ear. "You are the most beautiful creature that has ever graced this planet. I plan on showing you my appreciation of that beauty over, and over, and over again tonight."

She exhaled loudly into his neck; he chuckled and started planting kisses behind her ear and down her neck. Her heart began racing. She was sure that every supe there could hear her blood quickening through her veins, and yet she couldn't find it in her to be embarrassed.

"Eric." She whispered; her voice ragged.

He didn't want words and he crushed his lips to hers. She curled both of her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. She didn't care that they were in the middle of a dance floor, or that they were surrounded by other vampires. She didn't care that this was turning into more than just a passionate but appropriate kiss. She only cared that although his body was pressed up against hers, it still wasn't close enough to suit her.

They were in the middle of the dance floor but they were no longer dancing. They stood there, wrapped in each other as others twirled around them. No one was watching the dancers, everyone was watching them. They began to feel the electric currents running through them. Their bond flared between them, Eric pulled back. He could feel their energies escaping from their hold. He smiled down at her angelic face; he had never felt so complete in all his centuries.

Then all hell broke loose. Sookie jerked away from Eric and placed her hands on the sides of her head so that she could concentrate. They were suddenly surrounded by hundreds and hundreds of angry minds. They all pounded down on Sookie. Eric grabbed her elbows trying to steady her. The angry hateful minds were closing in all around them, there was no escape.

"We're under attack!" Sookie yelled at the top of her voice. The humans there looked at her like she was crazy because clearly there was no attacking. All the vampires were on red alert. Guards took flanking positions around their kings and queens, the weres began to strip and change into their were forms.

"Sookie," Eric said urgently. "We need to release it Sookie." He didn't have to explain what he meant. She looked into his eyes and they ripped their bond open.

Sookie was almost knocked to her knees from the force that their energies flooded back into her. Gray streaks liberally marked her hair and Eric's were glowing.

"Oh Sookie, you have been holding out on us." Pam said. Sookie whipped around to see Pam standing behind her with a very Eric grin on her face; it was a grin of anticipation. She ran her fingers through Sookie's multi colored locks. "I always knew you'd go prematurely gray." She joked.

"Gee thanks Pam, you always know what to say to make a girl feel beautiful."

Bill was standing next to Pam, silently evaluating the way Sookie looked. Sookie could tell he had figured out that this is what she and Eric were hiding at the hotel. She also had a glimpse into something else in his mind but she would have to deal with that later.

"Five seconds!" She yelled. Right on cue every side of them filled with moving beings. Just before they reached the party guests Stan appeared by Eric's side with four swords, Joe held two.

They gave them one and they faced the sea of killers as a spear. Eric at the point Sookie and Stan slightly behind him, Joe, Pam and Bill stair stepped behind them.

They were quickly overrun by unfamiliar vampires and weres. Eric was fighting two vampires and a wolf by himself. A vampire came after Sookie alone but she made short work of him, easily beheading him. They began to group up on her too. She was fighting two vampires both armed with swords. She tried to fight as long as she could on her own but she became quickly tired. She began to pull off of Eric's strength. He seemed to not even notice.

He had a huge smile on his face and she could feel that he was having the time of his life and he beheaded the wolf. He quickly disposed of the two vampires also but they were quickly replaced by others.

Sookie was now fighting three vampires armed with swords. Eric's strength and thousand year old instincts were making themselves known. To her it felt like practice only faster paced. She stabbed one vampire through the heart killing him, and she was about to behead another when something large and fury knocked her to the ground. Her sword was knocked from her hands. Eric roared in fury, and she could feel him fighting his way over to her.

Before he could, Sookie found herself face to face with a were-bear. Sookie screamed as the bear snapped at her neck. Her arms were the only thing keeping him from snapping off her head. She ground her fingers into the bear's neck as he strained to sink his teeth in her neck. She was so tired of bears, every since she met one her life has been nothing but turmoil. Sookie's fingers closed tighter around the bear's neck crushing his esophagus. The bear began to scratch and claw her body. She screamed as he tore the flesh of her sides, but she held on tightly hoping that he would die soon.

Then the bear's head snapped to the side and he fell limply onto her. Sookie let go of his neck as the dead bears tonnage weighed down on her, but then that too was gone. Eric was standing over her with the limp bear dangling off his arm.

"Next time just snap his neck lover." Eric said and then tossed the corpse away. He picked her up and examined her wounds. "Not too bad." He said and then quickly licked both of her sides.

Eric quickly jerked away from Sookie's side. Sookie ducked and Eric swung his sword around his head and beheaded two vampires that were trying to attack while they were distracted.

"Don't leave me Eric." Sookie pleaded.

"I am right here lover, do you want my sword?" Eric asked.

"No I am okay." And with that they were surrounded. Eric was taking on five vampires and Sookie was taking on four. There was a wide circle around them as they fought. Eric and Sookie fell back into the routine they created in their practices. They were tossing their only sword back and forth between them.

Sookie was having a blast, she was sure that that was the Eric part of her coming out. All of a sudden Pam's scream pierced the night. Sookie began to search for her through all the minds. It was easier to locate her with their energy flowing through their body. Sookie could see that Pam and been wounded. Pain from her right shoulder and her stomach was pulsing through her mind.

"Eric," Sookie called.

"Go!" Eric replied.

A vampire tried to punch her and she grabbed her by the wrist and then planted her foot in her chest, separating the limb. She cried out and fell back. Sookie took the opportunity to kick her into the vampire next to her. That created an opening that she ran through, faster the any human should have been able to.

Sookie found Pam by the buffet. She was surrounded by five vampires, one stepped forward with a stake and was about to plunge it into Pam's chest when Sookie jumped in the middle of them and kicked the vampire with the stake in the ribs. She could feel them give under the force of her kick. He roared and the others pounced. Sookie was suddenly in a sea of fists, fangs, and flying feet. She was pushing herself to the very limit as two more vamps jumped into the fight.

"Pam!" Sookie called, "Drag your ass to that buffet right now and drink!"

She could tell that Pam was already healing because she heard her say "You're nicer when you we just blonde, I don't think I like mean old silver Sookie." Pam stayed low to the ground and made it to the buffet.

Sookie drew even heavier on Eric as he pushed his strength at her, anything that would help her. He managed to fight his way closer to her; he didn't like being so far away when they were so entrenched in battle. She didn't even have a weapon of her own anymore. A black vampire was sneaking up on him with a stake. At the very last moment he turned and he beheaded the idiot who thought that he would ever leave his back unprotected. He caught the stake before it hit the ground.

'_Coming at you lover.' _He said as he threw the stake full force at a red headed vamp that joined in the foray.

'_Ready.'_ She said and did a back bend as that same red headed vamp she saw in Eric's mind swung his sword like a helicopter, trying to behead her. The sword slipped out of his hand as the stake sank into his back and heart. Eric had thrown it with so much force that the entire stake moved through the redhead's chest. Sookie reached across herself with her left hand and caught it. The other vamps froze in surprise.

"But you're supposed to only be a human." One of them said.

"Oh I am." She assured him as she crouched down. "Let me show you what a human can do." She plunged the stake into his chest and the others attacked. She was doing a dance that was made for her, a dance that only she and Eric can do. She could not see him but she could feel his body moving with hers in perfect sync. They were two sides of the same coin.

Sookie was beginning to get tired even though she was drawing from Eric. It's been over forty five minutes of straight hard fighting and it was beginning to become a strain on her. She drew heavily of Eric, if she stopped she would black out, his strength was the only thing that kept her going. She had managed to kill her way down to only three vampires but she was beginning to fade. Strength or no strength, her body was not built to sustain such a hard assault for so long.

Eric was under siege, he was surrounded by two wolves and four vampires. He loved it, but he could feel Sookie fading fast. He thrust his strength at her, as hard as he could be. _'Hold on Sookie, I am coming.'_ He projected.

Sookie chopped of the arm of one of her vampires, then the leg of another. The third was able to land a kick to her gut and she flew back. He jumped on top of her with his fangs bared. She positioned the stake where his heart should be and he fell directly in place. She pushed his disintegrating body to the side. The one armed vampire tried to slap her, but he was badly off balance and she staked him too.

She was tired, and she drug her way over to where Eric was fighting close to the dance floor. She looked to the side to see Pam and Bill fighting back to back with huge smiles on their faces. It must be a vampire thing. She slowly kept going. She saw something flicker in the corner of her mind. She turned her head it time to see a deranged looking vampire aiming a wooden spear in his hand.

He pulled it back and released it just as she saw the picture of Eric in his mind.

Sookie was running as fast as she could but she wasn't going to make it. She was barely holding on to her consciousness as it was, but she threw that aside. Eric was more important that her consciousness, he was more important than anything else. She let Eric's strength crash over her so that she could propel herself forward. A Chinese vampire jumped in her way, but she couldn't afford to be slowed down by him. She swung her sword and he was cut in half.

She wasn't going to make it. She pushed all the strength that she had down into her legs and she launched herself at Eric.

'_Spear!' she_ warned him. He saw where it was coming from but if he moved now it would hit Sookie instead. His choice was already made.

'_No!'_ she screamed! "Nooooo!" He turned to her and wrapped her in his arms, and then pulled her out of the path of the spear.

It pierced his back, his heart, her heart, and her back. For a moment the world stood still. Sookie looked into the eyes of her lover, her friend, her all and she smiled. He touched her face with his hand. She leaned into his touch. Where ever they were going they were going together with no regrets. They had all that life could have ever given them, love, family, friends, and each other.

They fell to the side still looking into each other's eyes, no longer aware of the disappearing world around them. They were on this journey together and they would take the next one together too.

And with their death, they disappeared into the white void…together.

TBC

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A/N: Okay, so it was horrible of me to leave it off like this but I just couldnt help myself. Please no throwing items at me...that means for you to put the chair down. Thank you. The story is not over yet...or is it? J/K its really not. I hope yall liked it, please trust me, and please review review review.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

A/N: Okay everyone I know that I left y'all hanging on the last chapter. Thank you to all those that said you trusted me. This story has different dimensions that all tie together. I know that this chapter is going to make y'all want to kill me because it's not what you expected, but believe me when I say that it's necessary.

So many of your reviews ask so many of the RIGHT questions that it's scary, some of you seem like you are actually inside my head. I still cannot answer them but if everything goes the way it is supposed to then in the next chapter I will be able to explain a lot of where this story is coming from.

Thank y'all so much for all the great reviews; they just make me write faster. I just ask that y'all still trust me and just hang on for a little bit longer….

Before I forget watch for the changes in time and setting, there's a lot of reminiscing about past days, and then coming back to the present so do let that throw you off.

Please enjoy.

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_SETTING AND TIME: THE SAME NIGHT AS SOOKIE'S BANQUET IN TEXAS, THIS IS HAPPENINING AT THE SAME TIME._

Life is good. To not be a slave to another; to do what it is that you want to do and when you want to do it. There's no greater marker of success than freedom. He had done all the time he was ever going to do in another's service. He had already kissed all the ass he was ever going to kiss to get ahead.

Bowing down to others had never suited him (he was born royal for goodness sakes), and he had punched, stabbed, kicked, staked, and clawed his way to the top so that his back would never have to bend again.

Some called him a conniving snake; well he was honest enough with himself to accept that truth. Others called him a manipulating back stabber, okay he could own that too. He was loyal to himself and proud of it. If you're not prepared to risk anything in order to gain everything, then you will end up with nothing. Having nothing was just not an option for him.

Yes, it's definitely a good thing to be the king, and his kingdom thrived. For a hundred and ten years he nursed and cared for and molded a worthless scrap of land into the thriving city of sin it was today. It hadn't been easy in the least bit, but for the last eighty-eight years he was able to drastically change his state. Now peace reigned in his land. His state was one of the wealthiest, which translated into one of the most powerful.

As good as it was to sustain himself within his own kingdom, he grew restless. He was a vampire for crying out loud, he lived to conquer and dominate. He had done that for Nevada, so now what? Was he supposed to be content? Hell no. He was old enough to know that once a vampire became content it spelled out death, finally. And frankly, death was beneath him. Death was for those who had been too stupid in life to survive or those too weak to will it. If there were ever two things he was not, they would be stupid and weak.

No he adapted and he thrived, and the only time he met death was to hand another soul off to him. The key to an extended life is to never become stagnant. You have to be like a boxer in the ring, constantly on the move and that's exactly what he did. When he felt the walls closing in on him he didn't just stand idly by, waiting for fate to present him with a solution. He created his own fate.

He had been looking for a new conquest when he heard about the massive explosion in Rhodes. He needed something to sink his teeth into. Nevada, as splendid as it was, was becoming small and a little tight around his neck. Before all the details were told to him, he was already beginning to formulate a plan. He just needed to wait to find out what form exactly his plans would need to take. He was exhilarated at the prospect of domination. He could remember the last time he felt this excited about conquering something. He reminisced on the way he took over the desert state.

He had orchestrated a coup within the ranks of King Ptolemy. He and his partner in crime, Cecilo Tomás played the whole thing beautifully. If Cecilo would have stuck to the plan then they would have inherited a dynasty; what was Nevada, California, Utah, and what was to become Arizona. He would have not mess ups this time. He wouldn't rely on only one person. He will have every possible scenario worked out. At the same time his blood danced in his body with anticipation of this possible new conquest, while he remembered his last.

King Ptolemy was a king with vision. Felipé and Cecilo were his first and second lieutenants. They had come to the new world in search of riches and great adventure. Felipé knew the king of New England from Spain. He had written to Felipé telling him about this new world and the promise of money and power there. Unlike the old world where everything has been set in its ways for thousands of years, here they would be able to mold the land how they saw fit. He offered Felipé a job. Felipé was tiring quickly of the old world, but where else could he go? He happily took up his old acquaintance's offer. If for nothing else, the blood buffets on the boat ride over.

He and Cecilo stayed with the king of New England for five years, when they met King Ptolemy. He had come east on a part vacation, part work visit. He was under the hospitality of the New England king and he told him of his visions of the west. At this time it was still wild and untamed; but Ptolemy saw how people were moving ever westward and he was determined to make his mark. Felipé could see the vision in it, though it didn't look quite the same as Ptolemy's. Felipé had been groomed to rule over a nation, and he didn't see how that should change just because he was made a vampire. He knew that the best kingdom to rule over was the one that was still taking shape, it's easier to mold. He and Cecilo went with King Ptolemy back to the west and worked their way through the ranks.

It went faster than most vampire promotions because some how those who had positions of power over him always proved to be untrustworthy in one way or another. Stealing money, bedding the boss's girls, not carrying out the orders the way the king asked. How mysterious. It wasn't very long until Felipé and by extension Cecilo were king Ptolemy's number one and two.

Felipé and Cecilo had been friends for more than a hundred years, ever since Felipé saved Cecilo from an angry mob. Since then Cecilo kept Felipé's strictest confidences. Cecilo was very young; his maker had been killed before he could teach him all the ways of the vampire. Felipé took him under his wing. They were very much like maker and child, except for the desire to leave one another.

By the turn of the new century Felipé was ready to shed his skin so to speak. He liked Ptolemy well enough but where he took the name of royalty, Felipé _was_ royalty. Felipé was not made to bow to anyone and that's when he made the decision not to.

There are rules to everything, whether you understand them or not, whether you follow them or not. Some rules are absolute and some were made to be broken. Some are there for a reason; these were the rules he remembered when he started his plans.

Know your enemy. King Ptolemy was always a greedy eater. Even though he was old enough that he could sustain his life without killing, he had a taste for the exotic. When he sampled the exotic he sampled them, and sampled them, and sampled them until they were completely dry. It was beyond easy to find a beautiful Mexican flower. She felt comfortable with Felipé because of his beauty and his obvious Spanish background. He drugged her and delivered her to Ptolemy's bedroom. Of course this was not the room he actually spent the day in, just a room he used to perpetuate that illusion.

Account for the unaccountable. Cecilo found a companion in the regime of King Ptolemy. His assistant Abigail was a newborn. She had big smoky gray eyes and full, pouty lips. He wouldn't have minded some quality time with the neophyte, but she wasn't very old, just barely old enough to control her instinct. He could see that she still retained some of her human emotions; she was just a step up from human…which was still a step down from him. He could see that Cecilo was instantly intrigued by her and she wasn't beautiful enough for him to lower himself to her level for just a night, nor for him to risk the strife that it would cause his friend. Besides, Cecilo was worth more than an easy piece of ass.

Felipé smiled at himself in the reflection of his bedroom window. If he knew now what he knew then, he would have slept with the wench just so the spite was there. He was sure that Cecilo would have still bedded her, but his attachment wouldn't have been so great. If he knew then what he knows now, Cecilo would still be alive.

Always be flexible. Sometimes the only way to account for the unaccountable is to know that you cannot count on them. This means you have to be able to adapt quickly. Their plans were based solely on the two of them.

They didn't account for Cecilo warning Abigail to go to ground that day instead of staying in the palace; but he did. They didn't account for Abigail calling Ptolemy's guards, but she did. They didn't account for the guards capturing Cecilo moving the flaking body of the king while he disposed of the drugged girl; but that's exactly what happened.

They were supposed to be out hunting together. That's where everyone thought they were, so when the king came up missing they wouldn't be under suspicion…after all they weren't even there. However when he got back Abigail thought to ensnare him in a trap, but he hadn't reached five hundred years of age by being stupid. He knew when he was being corralled, and he changed to suit his need.

"Where have you been Felipé?" She asked, trying to set the lie up for him. He could see Derek and Marshall standing guard behind her glaring at him.

He tried not to smile at her intensity. She couldn't hide her emotion, try as she might. He was still slightly impressed that she hadn't just attacked him when she saw him…slightly.

"Hunting." He answered warmly, after all why should he change the disposition that seemed so normal to them?

"Then where is Cecilo?" She pressed, trying to enlarge the trap. She was barely over sixty, and she actually thought that she could catch him…how cute.

"I'm afraid we split soon after we left." He said. He changed his entire demeanor. He glared distastefully at her.

"Why?" she asked.

"Why? You dare ask me why?" he asked indignantly. "Who are you to question me? _I_ am the king's second in command. You are just a glorified lackey."

"I am loyal to the king, for and your cohort, it remains to be seen. I ask you why because it is my every right to ask you why in the name of the king!" she spat. She was shaking, barely able to control herself.

"You." He said; his voice was as colder than a winter's storm in New England. "You are the reason we split. I told him that you may bed him but that's as far as your devotion goes. I said that you belonged to the king and that if he asked you to go to the old world with him you wouldn't even make it two paces from the door of this place.

"Apparently he couldn't take the fact that I didn't believe you returned his affection. I reminded him that vampires do not mate with each other, and if they do it is not for an extreme amount of time. He's a hundred and twelve, and yet he insists on hanging onto those stupid human emotions. Suffice to say that he didn't want to stay in my company after that." He waited a few moments to let his words sink into her head.

He stood so that he towered over her. "Now you trifling trollop, you _will_ tell me the reason behind the inquisition before I go to the king to get permission to pull you limb from limb. I will truly enjoy it, I assure you."

She didn't answer, so he took a step closer to her. Derek and Marshall moved up behind her, flanking Felipé. Felipé stood his ground and growled harshly at the trio; he could tell they were forcing themselves not to cower under him.

"You dare challenge my authority!" he accused. Derek and Marshall took a step back and looked to Abigail for her lead. They knew that with the king dead, Felipé was the rightful king now, even if he didn't know that his time to reign had come…

"The king is dead." Abigail said in a smaller, less sure voice.

"Why are you questioning me? Where is Cecilo?" he asked.

"Dead, the guards walked in on him trying to hide the king's remains."

Felipé roared harshly again. His terror was unbearable and his three underlings had to run to escape his wrath.

Later he learned what had happened. He learned that Cecilo hadn't listened and warned Abigail to escape the house that night. They had discussed what would happen after the king's death, who they would trust and who they would need to eliminate. When they got to Abigail his eyes flashed. If this was to work there would be no way in the world they would be able to leave her alive. She was too loyal to the king. Cecilo was convinced that their time together had changed her. Felipé could see that she was not the one who was changed.

He had been elevated to king but it was not the ease it was supposed to have been. Abigail, Derek, and Marshall challenged his right to rule. They compelled the tribunal that Cecilo would never have taken such an undertaking by himself. It was notorious how loyal to Felipé he was. Ptolemy had old friends on the tribunal who were all too eager to find suspicion in his sudden death. It was left to Felipé to prove his innocence rather than for the others to prove his guilt.

He charmed them and used his best logic. He called upon every trick, scheme, and ounce of cunning that he possessed; and yet they split the territories between them. He vigorously contested, but they were resolute. They said that they were inclined to believe their story, but with nothing to support it his life remained his own. He would keep Nevada but the rest would be divided between the others.

Recognizing the futility, and mortal danger, in continuing to dispute the ruling he let it go. He would concentrate on his state. He would build it up, and then he would take back what was rightfully his. Within a decade Abigail, Derek, and Marshall had all lost their territories. Derek and Marshall lost their lives along with their states. It didn't even surprise him that they had been overthrown by; you guessed it, some of the same members of the tribunal that awarded them the land.

Again he was tempted to dispute what had happened but his greater mind told him to shut up, and keep up with his plan. He was a vampire after all, what is a little time? When you are undead time is one thing you will never be lacking in. So that's what he did. He kept his nose to the grindstone (he loved some of the colorful terms humans came up with) and he elevated his state by the strength in his back and the blood in his veins to where it was now.

Felipé turned away from the opaque window back into the splendor of his room. Over the years he had refined and perfected the lessons of his last takeover. When Rhodes happened he just couldn't help himself; especially when he heard how hard Sophie Ann was hit. She had already lost so much because of Katrina; Rhodes was just the fairy blood in the goblet he was looking for.

Louisiana was a goldmine in waiting. New Orleans by itself was worth the trouble as Las Vegas' southern sister. It had been hit hard but the time and money he would spend repairing it would be retaken one hundred fold when she was back on her feet.

It really was no decision made, how could there be? Louisiana called to him so strongly. The fact that Arkansas came with the deal was of no consequence; when faced with the choice to have or not to have, it's better to have…just in case. He dispatched scouts into the states. No one knew all of what he would do. He had learned well from his past misfortunes. Only he held all the cards.

When the reports came back of the areas in each state, he began making provisions. None of the Sherriff's could stay in power. How long have they ruled their areas, with mediocre success? No, it just won't do. He would eliminate the current sheriffs and then dispatch his own. Besides, the less of the old infrastructure that was left over the easier the transition would be.

Then, however, he came to the report of Area Five-governed by Eric Northman. He had heard of the Viking vampire. He's a fierce warrior, someone to fight with-not against. Eric was also quite a bit older the he was, that could explain his position as a sheriff and not a king. Some vampires, when they reach a certain age, just want to be left in their peace-wherever they may find it. Apparently Eric found it in governing a piece of northern Louisiana. New Orleans has been the money maker in the state for quite some times, but since Eric became Sheriff of Area Five, he has been giving them a sincere run for their money. His area was the second largest money maker…even though there's really not much in his fiefdom.

Eric would be worth keeping on. Besides all the money he makes in his area, he controls two assets that were very important to him. William Compton and his database was potentially a million dollar money maker. If Louisiana wasn't in the dire straits that it was in, it could have recovered its losses within months. Well isn't that just too bad for them…

Sookie Stackhouse has been making noise in the vampire world for a while. He didn't think she realized how many vampires were aware of her existence. She was a great asset, indeed. To have a telepath by his side would be of great use, especially in today's world where they openly consort with their food. Her beauty was renowned, as well as her stubbornness and her willingness to follow through with a job no matter what. She had belonged to Compton, but was now under the strict protection of Eric. Of all the things he had heard about her, her loyalty surpassed all other things that were said about her. Yes, she was someone he definitely needed on his side. He would harness her gift, develop it, and mold it…along with her to what he wanted her to be. She would be his both personally and professionally. She would always be at his disposal, and when she was shaped just perfectly. He would turn her, and freeze her into eternity. She would always be by his side. She may be a step down and slightly behind him, but she would still be there. Yes the possibilities of Ms. Stackhouse were endless and he was excited about his new project.

His takeover went over without a hitch. He was able to preserve the Northman, and with him is second and third goals. Sookie proved to be even more useful then he could have imagined when she saved him and Eric from that vile Sigebert. The bond between the Viking and the telepath was evident, though they tried to down play it. If she could soften the heart of a ruthless vampire like Eric, he had been greatly underestimating her. Resolutely he began his subtle campaign to work his way into her life. He offered his official protection to her. He knew he had to be careful with her. He wanted her loyal, not broken. He would groom her to be the second in command that Cecilo should have been.

Of course that meant that eventually he had to kill the Viking. He couldn't have her blood bonded to him if he was going to have her under his thumb. Sadly, Eric would have to go, but not before he used him to bring Sookie closer to his regime; and definitely not while he needed the funds of Area Five to help support the state while his new sheriffs got established.

Taking over Sophie-Anne's territories had exhilarated him in ways that he hadn't felt in so long. Too long he had been held up trying to build Nevada into a state worth ruling. As he remembered his resent conquest, his blood seemed to come alive within his body. Two months had passed now and he was already getting bored again. Louisiana and Arkansas were now under his complete domination. Plans have been made for a revitalization of the states, and he had good lieutenants in place to oversee to the details.

He was on a roll now; it would be foolish to stop now. Everyone would expect him to sit back and try to ensure his new territories, but that was already done. Now that he had reawakened this part of himself, he wanted to indulge it. But that still begged the question of where to go from here.

Maybe now was the time to take back what was rightly his; and then he could close the gap between his territories. California was too strong, he would have to leave them until last, until he had built up his forces more. So which of the other states would be his main course now that he had had his appetizer? Hmm, maybe he wouldn't have to wait to take California if only he-

There was a loud knock on his door.

"What!" He barked.

"I beg your pardon your majesty;" one of his servants Sarah? Stephanie? S…-oh who gives a damn?-the servant girl stammered. "There is a woman here. She said that you've requested a private audience with her.

"I have granted no such thing." He said. Though he didn't let it show, he was a little curious as to who would be so bold as to show up unannounced, uninvited, and with the nerve to say that he had asked for a private audience.

The servant girl flustered for a little while. She definitely didn't want to go back out there. This piqued his curiosity even more then it should have, after all who could scare the human more then he?

"Please sir," she implored. "I know it's not my place, but trust me (hah!), you're going to want to see her." He regarded her intensely.

"Fine but you better hope for your sake that this isn't a waste of my time." He told her. He could see her eyes widen, and then she thought about it, she visibly relaxed then.

'_This must really be some guest.'_ He thought to himself as she disappeared to go get whoever it was. He flitted over to the seating area, and took his place.

A moment later the door opened to reveal an older woman; apparently human though there was something quite familiar about her. She was only about five feet tall with snowy white hair that flowed down to her waist. Her skin was pale, almost as pale as his. She had black eyes, a petite nose and full lips. Physically she looked older than he did. She had a whiff of otherness about her.

She glided over to him at his seating area, and with every step the less human and more other she seemed. She had a peculiar sent, though it wasn't familiar, it wasn't unfamiliar either. He had smelled it once, many a century ago…on a seer. She smiled at the recognition in his eyes.

"Good." She said. He voice was like honey warmed over, smooth and rich. "Now we can speak plainly.

"Of course." He replied. I was told seer that you wanted to see me?" He asked her genially, this was a woman of great power and respect.

"No, it was you who will have sought me out tomorrow. I did not want to wait, I have things to prepare. Ask me the questions that have been plaguing you so I may go." She said matter-of-factly.

He had to think fast, he didn't want to share his ambitions with her but at the same time, if she could tell him where to be wary and where to be aggressive she could save him a lot of trouble. He had no idea if he was or was not going to call for a seer, he had no idea how to even get in touch with one if he needed to; but he wouldn't have had to worry about that, he would have given the task to one of his minions to worry about. After all, he was well past looking for things himself.

She waited as she saw the dead wheels turn in his head. She already knew what he would do; she just waited for him to make the actual decision. That has been her existence, waiting. To know what's going to happen, but bound to wait for it actually to pass.

"I am sure you are aware that I have taken over Louisiana and Arkansas." He began cautiously. "I have just returned from the tour of my newly acquired territory. I was just here thinking about it and a sudden thought occurred to me."

"You want to know what other states you can take. Are you not happy with what you already have kinged?" She cut straight to the point. She was above this little dance she knew he wanted to start.

"Yes." He said dropping the congenial act. He could tell it wasn't working and he didn't want to offend her…at least not until he got the information he wanted. "I am. Though, there's always more. There's always more to see, more to do, and more to acquire. I find that I like conquering; it's very much to my tastes. I want to know where I should strike next."

"That's simple."

"Really?"

"Yes, you should not strike anywhere else. Something has already been set in motion that is far greater than you. It would do that you not aggravate the situation any further. Be happy with what you have. Do not try to conquer another, it will only cause you pain." She said, but then added, "And quite possibly your life," when she saw him get ready to be indignant.

The room cooled considerably as he rolled her information in his head. He kept coming to the same conclusion though. If she told him where to overstep, he would sidestep the problem, and he would still end up with what he wants.

"What do you mean? What are the things that have 'already been set in motion' as you put it?"

"It's not a clear vision. The queen, whose land you have taken, had set in motion some events that had the potential to cause her destruction if she wasn't careful. She was dancing on a very tight rope and didn't even know it. You have killed her, but those elements did not die with her." She said, and then her gaze intensified. "You have inherited her potential demise. You should tread carefully on those you rule."

How could this be? He had worked too hard to get where he was to let some unknown elements overthrow him. "Tell me what you saw seer."

Her eyes grew cloudy; her black eyes disappeared into a sea of white as she recited her vision. He sat up straighter and leaned ever so lightly closer to her. He wanted to absorb every honey word she spoke.

"And the world will forge two into one, and the northern kingdoms will come undone. With their life a new leaf will take hold cleansing the horrible and the old. After the joining neither will be spared if the other is killed. After the acceptance all will bow to their will."

"How will I be able to find who they are?" he questioned. The sooner he was able to take care of this problem the better. He was Felipé De Castro; _nothing_ was beyond what he willed.

"They already live under your rule." She said. Her voice suddenly split and she sounded like multiple people speaking at once. He stared at the sudden change in her demeanor and voice. Then he realized that she was compensating for the extra energy she was using to focus her original vision. "They are already connected, one and the same. She is the heart to inspire truth and loyalty; vampires, humans, and Were's alike will gladly die for her. She is the heart that holds everyone together. He is the cold fury and fiery strength that has hardened over time. He has seen the world change many times over. He has won and lost everything many times. He's the consummate survivor. He is the will, she is the way. He is the sword and she is the armor."

Her breathing became strained, and her chest heaved with every breath, but she held on.

"If they reign, will I survive?" he asked hurriedly, he wanted all the answers he could get before she lost whatever it was she was seeing.

"If it is their will." She answered cryptically. "You will force their hand one way or the other."

"Am I to fight them or help them through? Are they my beginning or my end?"

Her chest heaved again and she let out a small cry. She took a deep breath. She was forced out of her vision, she wasn't meant to see everything. She took a moment to compose herself. The last thing she saw unnerved her a little bit. She had never seen anything like it. A great gold and silver light, they were too bright for her to make out exactly what they were, but she got the impression that they were the immovable forces she was trying to tell him about. Whoever these beings were, if they reached that state there would be no hope for Felipé.

She could see that he was barely containing himself, torn between wanting to ask more questions and wanting to give her the illusion of hospitality. There was one other impression that she got from the gold and the silver…whatever they were. She had the feeling that it was already too late for Felipé, but she would keep that to herself.

"I cannot tell you what you should do, that is something only you can decide." She answered him. "But there are some realistic questions that you need to ask yourself. Can you bow to another? Can you allow yourself to be ruled by another? If they come to power know that you will bow or you will cease to exist; all kings and queens will have to make that same choice. Choose wisely. Others will base their choice on yours. If you choose to lead the fight against them then the whole country will be at war. There will be a great victory, but there will also be great losses."

He was completely lost in thought. He was barely aware that she was on her feet again.

"I must go now king." She said. "Like you, I too must decide my place in all this. I must make arrangements."

That got his attention and he turned his gaze on her, willing himself to read her mind. _'Where is Sookie when you need her?_ He asked himself. That brought him up short. Where indeed?

He stood and he walked her to the door. Before he opened it she turned to him, her black gaze was piercing.

"King, be wise," she warned him. "The other kings and queens will follow your lead. You will either lead them to a great victory or a great defeat. Your window is rapidly closing, you must decide the type of man you are quickly and then act upon it." With that she was gone and Felipé was left deep in thought.

He already knew what type of man he was. He was royalty. He was power incarnate. He was _not_ made to bow to others; others were made to bow to him. Sophie-Anne was even more ignorant than he thought to have created such chaos without even realizing it.

He went over to the intercom system and rang for his attendant.

"Yes sir?" she asked.

"Bring me the files for all the Louisiana vampires and Arkansas vampires previous to my take over." He commanded.

"Right away sir." She replied. He went back over to his sitting area and rolled the seer's words in his head.

_" They are already connected, one and the same. She is the heart to inspire truth and loyalty; vampires, humans, and Were's alike will gladly die for her. She is the heart that holds everyone together. He is the cold fury and fiery strength that has hardened over time. He has seen the world change many times over. He has won and lost everything many times. He's the consummate survivor. He is the will, she is the way…"_

He suddenly felt a pressure to figure this out. The seer didn't give the impression that he had a lot of time to dally. He was about to get up and go drain his human secretary then get the files himself when she stepped into the room and made a b-line for him.

"Here are the files you requested your majesty. Is there anything else I can get you sir?" she asked.

"No, you are dismissed." He said not even bothering to look up from the files.

She turned and walked back to the door. "Oh and sir." She said as she reached the doors. "I almost forgot; Sheriff Northman called for you earlier. I told him that you wished to not be disturbed and you would call him back later."

"Fine," he replied. "I will take care of it later." He never turned away from the files before him, and he heard the light click as she closed the door behind him.

The Arkansas files were on top. He quickly discarded them, they were all lower vampires. All the vampires of consequence were all killed in Rhodes. When he sent a takeover party to the ones that were left, they were all too happy to turn over the reins to him. They didn't even try to find out the fate of Louisiana.

No, this power was of Sophie-Anne's personal doing. He spread out all the Louisiana files. All the Sheriffs were dead, except Northman, so that made it easier to narrow the search. He cleared the table of all the files except those that pertained to Eric and opened it up to look for his potential demise.

Eric Northman

Status: Vampire

Sire: Unknown

Age: 1000+

Origin: Viking

Alias's: Leif

Position: Sheriff of Area Five in Louisiana

Special talent: Flying, Fighting

Assets of Note

Pamela Childs

Status: Vampire

Sire: Eric Northman

Age: 300+

Origin: England

Alias's: None

Position: Eric Northman's Second In Command

Special talents: TBD

William Compton

Status: Vampire

Sire: Lorena

Age: approx 135

Origin: Bon Temps, Louisiana, United States of America

Alias's: None

Position: Fifth Area Investigator

creator of the vampire database

2nd biggest money maker in Louisiana (behind Northman)

Special Talents: Levitation

Notes: Is the former lover of famed telepath Sookie Stackhouse

Sookie Stackhouse

Status: human

Age: 27

Origin: Bon Temps Louisiana, United States of America

Alias's: None

Position: Telepathic Blood Bonded of Sheriff Eric Northman

Investigating Consultant for Louisiana

Works as a barmaid for Sam Merlotte (Shifter).

Is under multiple protections:

Formal Protection of king De Castro (updated)

Eric Northman

Long Tooth Were-Pack of Shreveport

Were-Panther Pack of Hot Shot, Louisiana

Special Talents: Drawing magical community to herself

Notes: Notoriously strong willed and stubborn

has a talent for unconventionally solving problems

completely loyal to Eric Northman

Felipé considered what he read about Eric Northman. Eric was completely ruthless. He was also several centuries older then he was; but the most important fact is that he had some of Louisiana's biggest assets firmly under his control.

Eric was blood bonded to the telepath, this perplexed him. In all his years, he has only met two vampires that were blood bonded to a human and both of them were relatively young vampires-just a few hundred years old. He had never heard of a vampire as old as Eric bonding himself to someone as weak and perishable as a human was. Vampires as old as Eric just didn't do it. That begged the question as to why it was done.

He plucked his cell phone from his pocket and called Victor.

"How can I be of service your majesty?" he answered on the first ring. Felipé could hear light music playing in the background.

"How is it going?" Felipé asked. He received an invitation to Texas for a banquet that honored Sookie, but he had been gone long enough from Nevada. He couldn't afford to be away again especially since he had just spent two and a half months touring and investigating Louisiana and Arkansas. So he sent Victor and Sandy in his place.

"Very well sir. Stan just offered Ms. Stackhouse his formal protection, which she accepted. They are twirling on the dance floor now." Victor informed him.

Hmmm interesting. Now Sookie was under the protection of two were packs, a shifter and two vampire kings. She certainly has a way about her.

'_She is the heart to inspire truth and loyalty; vampires, humans, and Were's alike will gladly die for her.'_

He froze. Two vampire kings and two were packs. _'He is the cold fury and fiery strength that has hardened over time. He has seen the world change many times over. He has won and lost everything many times. He's the consummate survivor.'_

If that didn't describe the legendary Viking, he didn't know what did; but he still had to ask the question.

"Victor, do you know why the Viking bound himself to the telepath?"

"Well sir, in New Orleans there are a lot of rumors. Everything from she is a witch that has bewitched him, to it was an accident. Though how can feeding your blood to a human three times ever be an accident?"

"And what do you believe?" Felipe pressed.

"I had a nurse not too long ago that told me a story." He said. "I was gathering information about Sookie and apparently she had been in the hospital in New Orleans. I went to get a copy of her medical records. I talked to a nurse who remembered her. She said that it stayed in her head because of the look she had on her face when she left the hospital abruptly. She overheard Sookie and two men, talking in hushed tones. It piqued her curiosity, so she eavesdropped on their conversation.

"Apparently the first guy there, she called Eric, had given her his blood in Jackson so that she could save some man named Bill. He said that she told him they had sex many times, but she found it odd that he used those words, like he couldn't remember."

"Ah yes, I remember hearing something about a witches curse taking his memory, though I was under the impression that he had it back."

"He does, but rumor has it that the time where he didn't remember is now missing. I would guess that is when the multitude of sex took place. But anyway, she said that's when the other man joined them. She was distracted by another patient but she strained to hear them, it sounded like the second guy confessed something that upset her. She went to go check on Sookie when a dark haired man came through the curtain looking murderous and left. She made to go in again when a beautiful blond man pushed his way past her. She stared after them when she noticed Sookie was leaving. She tried to stop her but she said the look in her eyes, chilled her to the bone, she couldn't even move."

"That would make sense..." Felipe said absently as the thoughts swirled through his head. Everything, was coming together, it had to be Sookie and Eric.

He remembered that Victor was still on the line. "I will await your report on the banquet." He said suddenly, and then hung up the phone.

He had heard rumors of his own. In Rhodes, André couldn't help himself; he tried to begin a bond with Sookie so that he could harness her talent. Somehow Eric had talked him into being the donor instead of André. He had assumed that this was the beginning tie of the blood bond; but apparently, if Victor's stories are true, then that could have been the final tie in the blood bond.

'_After the joining neither will be spared if the other is killed. After the acceptance all will bow to their will.'_ The seer had said. He hadn't asked where they were in that; but he would guess that they were still at the joining stage. Sookie's stubbornness will not let her easily accept what has been done to her, especially since it was forced on her…

'_And the world will forge two into one, and the northern kingdoms will come undone.' The seer's words swirled around hm._

'_Okay, okay. I get it.'_ He told his brain. There was no longer a doubt left in his mind about who this new power was. He had to eliminate it; but how?

He could always just summon Eric, and then have him killed when he got here. But if he did that, even if it didn't look like he had ordered it. If it happened in his state Sookie would know that it happened with his approval. There would be no way to persuade her to come by his side then. He really wanted her, especially if she contained all this power. If Eric could unleash it, then he certainly could.

'_After the joining neither will be spared if the other is killed.'_

Shit, that's right. Sookie is lost to him. Eric is over a thousand years old, there's no way that he could break that bond. What to do?

He walked back over to the opaque window that overlooked his retinue. He already knew the answer to the question he didn't want to ask. If it came down to him against them, there would be no decision. It has taken him too long to free himself from serving others; he will not ever go back. If he had any inclination to do so, it wouldn't be that bad to bow to a Viking war vampire like the Northman, but to bow to a human? It didn't matter how attractive or talented she was. It didn't matter how valued she was; there are just some things that should not be done. He had a feeling that many of the other kings and queens would be just as appalled as he was at the prospect of a vampire bowing to a lowly human. They will not stand for it, and neither will he.

He had to eliminate them. His best bet was still to summon them. They would have to obey him; they would have to show up. He would kill Eric first, and once he had tasted the telepath-and sated both of his appetites for her, she would follow the same path as her bonded.

He walked back over to the intercom. "Call Northman, tell him he, his telepath, his child, and Bill have been summoned. They are to come straight here from Texas. Also call Victor and Sandy and tell them that they are summoned also but are not to fly with Northman and his party."

"Yes sir, right away sir." She replied.

He began to plot and plans the deaths of Eric and Sookie, Victor reported that Bill said he would die for her. Well he is a gracious king, he would oblige Bill; and Pam too for that matter. He didn't want anyone left to oppose him and Bill and Pam certainly fell into that category. It was time for him to regain his kingdom and this is the first step. He will not bow to anyone; he will remain a true king. There are no lengths that he wouldn't go to in order to protect his kingdom. It was time for the Viking, his telepath, and his minions to pay the price for the survival of his kingdom.

TBC

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A/N: Just a few things, I know that Bill never fly's but in **_Dead Until Dark_** right after he meets Gran, he and Sookie goes for a walk and she asks to see him levitate, which he does. And I am still operating under the assumption from the books that only Sam and Eric knows that Niall is Sookie's Great-grandfather, and that though she told a few people at Merlottes Claude and Claudine were her distant cousins, none of them knows that they are fairies. Oh yeah and Quinn knows but thats it. Felipe, nor anyone in his retinue knows it.

Thanks everyone for not throwing chairs at me...or pitchforks even though I know it came close for a few of you. Keep the faith and hold steady, all is not lost.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appears in the Charlaine Harris series, everyone else belongs to me.

A/N: I know I know it was horrible for me to leave you hanging like that for so long. The truth is that I have been having a hard time funneling in all my thoughts so I have written and rewritten and rewritten the next two chapters. My beta finally threw a rock at me so I am posting this chapter. It was supposed to be the longest chapter yet but there as so much in there I didn't want to overload anyone with too much info. Plus I have some last minute changes to do on CH14 before I begin on CH15.

I told you that I would explain a little of where this story comes from so heres a little of it. I have read many, many, _many_, fanfiction stories. The are all unique in their own way. I did notice that a lot of them infuse myths and legends and things of that matter. I am a Christian; and I asked myself _what would happen if God was involved in Sookie's world?_ This story is my attempt to answer that.

There are other things I want to explain about but it will have to come in later chapters because I don't want to give away what I have planned. I do have some good news however. I am doing another sneak peak into the next chapter. Those of you who have done this before know the drill, everyone else instructions will be left at the end of this chapter.

With all that being said. Please enjoy...

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Chapter 13

Sookie was nervous; she'd never been to a vampire bar before, Bill was hesitant to bring her but she was glad she stuck to her guns. She was determined to go with or without him but she was relieved to have the extra protection.

They walked past the throngs of half dressed fang bangers to the door, where a blond vampire was checking ID's. She looked at Bill as they approached then turned her penetrating stare to Sookie and drank her in slowly. She started with her pristine white sandals that framed her red toes, up her toned and tanned legs. She arched her eyebrows as she took in the white dress with red flowers; it made her breasts stand out supple and proud. She could see what Bill meant by calling her vampire bait from the look on the ladies face.

This beautiful vampire locked Sookie in her hawk like gaze. Something flickered inside Sookie. She tore her attention away from the vampire that looked like Alice in Wonderland…if Alice was into dominatrix that is. She turned to where Bill stood, slightly behind her, but he was gone.

"Bill?" she called to him; nothing. She turned all the way around, though she knew she probably looked like an idiot, because maybe he just moved-he didn't. He was gone, and as she turned back to the lovely female vampire at the door, she noticed that everyone else had gone too. She was left completely alone with this Alice in Wonderland dominatrix vampire that was currently looking at her like Sookie a la terror was being served for dinner tonight.

"Where did everyone go?" she asked. "What is going on?" She began to panic; she didn't want to be alone with this beautiful but deadly creature.

"Don't worry about Bill." The vampire smiled. "He's just fine." She reached out for Sookie's hand and pulled her through the club's doors. "He's been waiting for you."

"Who?" Sookie asked. No one knew she was coming here except for Bill and he was nowhere to be seen. How could he just leave her with a strange vampire like that? She was definitely going to have a few choice and uncensored words when she saw him again.

"Go and find out." She replied. Sookie was about to make a run for it. She figured that if she jerked her hand away suddenly then she could have a chance to get…two feet before she was captured. Not a good plan, but she really _really_ wanted to be away from this vampire, especially without Bill or anyone there to protect her.

"Sookie trust me." The vampire urged her, as she saw her panicking. Something stirred inside Sookie at the vampires words.

She didn't know what this feeling was but she had a feeling that she should follow it. Besides if she turned and ran, something told her that the vampire would enjoy catching her, and that she wouldn't like it one bit. She let the vampire pull her further inside the club.

There was no one on the inside, she turned to where Alice in Wonderland was standing, but she too was gone. She walked back to where she came in at, but the door was replaced by a solid wall. Sookie pressed her hands against the wall hoping for a secret opening of some kind…it was solid.

She took a deep steadying breath and turned around. She moved through the club, still quite alone. She was close to the bar when a spotlight came on, pointing at the stage. It shined brightly onto a throne where the most drop dead (haha) gorgeous man sat looking positively bored.

He had flawless pale skin and beautiful golden locks about shoulder length. He had pale blue eyes and wore black leather boots, jeans and a leather vest with no shirt.

She was instantly drawn to this vampire and she took an involuntary step forward. Her movement drew his gaze and his eyes widened when they locked eyes. She gasped, something more stirred inside her again, and then all her memories flooded back to her.

"Eric." She whispered and he was in front of her within a blink of an eye crushing her in a tight bear hug.

"My lover, you are here!" He said with a sigh of relief.

"Of course I'm here Eric. I could never leave you." She said as she stroked his hair. She couldn't believe that he was real, and she wanted to touch every part of him.

He pulled back from her so that he could look into her eyes. His smile was so radiant that it made her heart ache. He kissed her passionately, their tongues doing an intricate dance that was so familiar to them both. They could stay entwined like this forever and he would still not have his fill of her.

"I love you." She said when he broke their kiss so that he could memorize her face.

"I love you too." He replied. He caressed her cheek and stroked her hair. Memories of their time together played through his mind; everything from their first meeting to their last moment.

Their last moment…

"What did you do my lover?" He asked her.

She didn't need him to explain, she knew what he was talking about. She too was reliving their precious time together.

"I couldn't let you die." She said gently. "Somehow the world wouldn't seem right without you in it."

He kissed her tenderly. "You stupid, stupid girl;" he murmured to her. "I can't believe you threw yourself in front of a spear for me."

She snorted, "Yeah, like you wouldn't have done the same thing for me." She quipped. He just shook his head and pulled her back into his embrace.

"Is it sick for me to be glad that you are here with me?"

"No, I'm glad that I'm here with you too." He said drawing her as close to his body as possible. She leaned her head onto his bare chest and she could feel him placing kisses all over her head.

"Eric?"

"Yes lover?"

"Where exactly is here? Why are we at the club?"

He pulled back again so that he could see her face. "I don't know. I was just about to ask you the same question."

"Really? I didn't hear anything." She said. She focused on him. "Eric, I can't hear you." She said in shock. She hadn't realized that it was completely quiet in her head with all the excitement of seeing him again. Even when she was with Pam and Bill she didn't hear the low buzz she got from vampire minds.

"I can't hear you either." His voice matched hers.

They both reached for their bond at the same time to find that it was no longer there.

"What's going on?" Sookie cried. "Why aren't we connected?" She began to panic.

"I don't know Sookie," Eric said, trying to calm her. "We will figure this out."

Suddenly the club began to fade away. They clung to each other as they were surrounded by pure white. There was nothing around them anymore, not even the ground that they thought they were standing on.

"I'm scared Eric." Sookie whispered. Somehow speaking at full volume seemed like a bad idea.

"I know." Eric murmured back taking his volume cue from her. "But you are safe with me, I will always protect you."

She nodded and clung tightly to his body. "At least on the bright side, we can't die again."

He gave a short laugh but quickly stopped because something moved to their side. Before Sookie could register what it could've been, Eric had shifted them so that he was shielding her with his body. She peeked around him to see a tall lean figure coming toward them. The white that surrounded them was thick and it made the figure look more like a shadow, but it was definitely getting clearer the closer it came.

"Who's there?" Eric's voice boomed menacingly into nothingness. She could hear the faint click as his fangs ran down. He crouched in front of her, preparing to defend.

"It's about time you two got here." A beautiful two toned voice said to them, ignoring Eric's question. It was a wondrous blend of bass and soprano, and it sounded like music to the ears.

Sookie could tell that the figure was a person, but the white was still obscuring their face. With a voice like that she couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman. To be honest it sounded like both speaking at the same time.

"We have been waiting for you." The voice continued. Then a…man?-woman?-person stepped in front of Eric. "Welcome." He?-she?-they said.

Sookie's mouth fell open. Man or woman, Sookie had never looked upon anyone or anything so beautiful. She stepped from behind Eric to get a better look at the beauty that was before her, but Eric kept a firm grasp on her wrist to caution her. He knew better than to let his guard down in front of anything or anyone unfamiliar, it didn't matter how beautiful it was. In fact he found that some of the most beautiful things in the world usually turn out to be some of the most dangerous.

The person in front of them was about six two or so (taller than her, but not quite as tall as Eric), with milk chocolaty brown hair and emerald green eyes. They had high cheek bones and full lips with a chiseled jaw line and a proud nose.

"You're beautiful." Sookie said in wonder. They had on what she could only describe as a white toga of some sort, but she still couldn't tell what sex this androgynous being was.

They laughed, a beautiful ringing plural sound. "Thank you Sookie." They replied with a conspiratorial wink. Sookie smiled at the beautiful stranger.

"How do you know me?" Sookie asked.

"Oh we go way back, but we will get to that later. For now just know that we are good friends." They smiled at her again and she had no doubt that this person was sincere.

"Who are you?" Eric asked again. He seemed to be studying the androgynous being before him. Sookie smiled to herself, she got the feeling that he couldn't tell what exactly this creature was either.

"We are Gabriel." They replied, turning their ethereal smile to him. "And we welcome you too Viking."

"Gabriel?" Sookie asked.

"Yes." The so called Gabriel replied.

"Like the Arch Angel Gabriel?"

"Yes," Gabriel confirmed. "The one in the same." Then Gabriel laughed at what seemed like an inside joke. "Or shall I say we are two in the same?"

Sookie felt confused, how could they be two in the same if they are the same person?

"Like this." Gabriel said when Sookie voiced her question.

Suddenly the white gathered around Gabriel and there was a blinding light and a slight whooshing sound. Then there were two Gabriel's in front of Eric and Sookie instead of just one. They were the same and yet distinctly different from each other and the being they were before they parted.

The two Gabriel's looked almost the same as before, same hair same eyes, and almost the same features. Where the first Gabriel was androgynous, these two were distinctly male and female. The male Gabriel had the same proud nose, chiseled jaw and high cheek bones as androgynous Gabriel. The female Gabriel looked exactly like the male Gabriel, with the same features, only hers were on a smaller scale and slightly more delicate.

Male Gabriel looked like he was carved from pure perfection. His muscles were prominent but natural; he looked like every personal trainer's dream. He was built powerfully, and looked like a formidable opponent in battle. He had wide shoulders, a slim waist and eight pack abs. He wore no shirt but had on a kind of white knee length kilt and leather sandals.

Female Gabriel looked soft and polished. She had a swan like look to her; her moves were graceful and purposeful. She moved with an ease that was almost unsettling. She was lean but well toned, she had great muscle definition but she still managed to look overtly feminine. She had on a white floor length wrap that haltered around her neck. It was toga-like in style only, and her bosom was perfect for her slender body type. She also had on leather sandals.

"I am Gabe." Male Gabriel said as he stepped forward to Sookie. "I am happy to see you again my sister." He gathered her into a tight hug; Eric stiffened but allowed it without comment. Gabe's hug was one of depravation, like he was trying to remember the feel of something that was very dear to him. He was very hard like marble and just as smooth. Somehow Sookie felt oddly comforted in his arms. He felt familiar to her.

"I am Briel." The female Gabriel said when Gabe let go of Sookie. She kissed her on the cheek and then hugged her. She felt just as comforting as Gabe did. Again Sookie was struck with familiarity, though she knew she had never seen either of them ever before in her life. Briel was surprisingly as hard as Gabe, though she looked so soft.

Briel stepped back to Gabe's side.

"I feel like I know y'all." Sookie said. "But how?"

"We will tell you in just a moment." Gabe said, and then he stepped to Eric. "Welcome Eric." He said crossing his right fist across his chest to his left shoulder. "My brother in arms, I am glad to meet you."

Eric, recognizing the respect he was being given, mimicked Gabe's movements and nodded his head.

Briel stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Eric's neck. After a moment he wrapped his arms around her petite waist.

"Welcome home brother." She said. "It's good to meet you." Then she kissed his cheek and retook her place next to Gabe's side.

Sookie took Eric's hand and smiled at him. He searched her eyes for a moment, but when he only found happiness reflected there, he finally seemed to relax.

"If you are the Arch Angel Gabriel, and you say that this is home, does that mean…" Eric began, but his voice trailed off as he searched for words that didn't sound completely mental to him.

"That this is Heaven?" Gabe supplied helpfully.

"Yes." Briel answered.

Sookie's mind was reeling. Heaven?

However, if Sookie's mind was reeling, Eric's completely blown. He had never been a Christian, not in any sense of the word. How could Heaven be his home? Sookie belonged here, yes, but him? He was a murderer, a cold blooded killer. He had broken almost all of the Ten Commandments thousands of times. Yet he felt in the core of his being that these angels-for they clearly were, obviously-were telling him the truth. Eric began to brood, over what this could possibly mean.

Gabe could tell Eric was troubled, he could read the sadness and skepticism and surprise on his face.

"Come brother," Gabe said. "We will explain everything to you both, that you may understand that you both belong here." He took Sookie's free hand and wrapped it around his arm. Briel did the same with Eric's free hand.

They closed their eyes for a minute. There was a blinding light and suddenly they were standing in a great valley. There was a sea of green as far as the eye could see. There were mountains to the extreme north that were massive and yet unassuming.

Gabe and Briel led them over to a pavilion that had two curved stone benches that created a circle. Eric and Sookie sat on one side, Gabe and Briel faced them on the other.

Gabe and Briel regarded each other for a moment. Sookie recognized that look, they were communicating with each other.

Briel finally nodded, and it was her that spoke first. "In your world there are many magical creatures. These creatures were granted the same privileges as humans, the privilege of choice. This magical world is not better or worse than humans, it's just something that was allowed its own natural evolution. Our Father saw a time when the entire world would be able to live in relative harmony, both humans and magical creatures alike."

"We say relative," Gabe chimed in perfect harmony with Briel. "Because there will always be those that choose hate instead of love; to do harm instead of doing good."

"He decided that the best way to begin this new age, there would need to be a champion of sorts. We all volunteered to help. He took some of my compassion, Gabe's fighting skills, and Michael's strength and fierceness; and He created a new soul. He created you, Sookie, and blessed you with all the gifts that you would need to make your journey possible."

"The telepathy." Sookie breathed and Briel nodded. She was stunned at the story even though she knew that it was the tip of the iceberg.

So when Niall called her "sweet seraphim" he was being literal; did he know all of this though?

Eric squeezed her hand and used his thumb to rub circles on her skin. It was a simple thing, but it was the perfect thing to do. She leaned into him, and he wrapped his arms around her. Feeling Eric next to her soothed her nerves, though the bond was no longer there, their closeness still had the same effects on them. He was trying to wrap his head around the story, he knew Sookie was special but he could never have imagined that his mate was a freaking angel…literally.

"You, Gabe, Michael, and I spent quite a bit of time together while to world matured and readied itself for you."

"Our Father was so proud of you, but he knew that you were not complete. You were made to be a part of a pair, and yet he made no pair to go along with you." Gabe picked up the story again. "You were longing to be with your mate, but being surrounded by His grace, you didn't know what the negative feelings you were having meant. Briel and I noticed that it happened at the oddest moments, when you looked at Briel and me from afar. You thought we didn't know but you are a part of us, and we could feel it from you."

"So we spoke to Him, we all felt incomplete and sad, and he told us that you were made to go with a mate. When we inquired about your mate, he said that he was already on the earth. He was raw and he would have to be molded correctly so that he would be her perfect match, like he was meant to be. You were made to fit with him, and he would be molded to fit with you." Briel said.

"Eric," Sookie said. Eric gave her waist a tiny squeeze. "It was Eric right?"

"Well yes." Gabe said. "But we didn't know it at that time, only He did."

"You needed someone as unique as you were. Someone that was strong, fierce, and secure within himself. Someone who would let you be yourself and at the same time keep you safe. We needed someone as pigheaded as you are, that will challenge you and help you develop." Briel said. Her and Gabe's transition to one another was still flawless.

"We thought that there were a few noble souls that could fit the bill. He walked the earth testing them." Gabe was saying when Sookie interrupted him.

"Wait a minute. God walked the earth for me?" she asked in disbelief.

"Of course He did. You are one of his beloveds." Gabe replied. "Besides, he loves walking among his children."

Eric spoke up while Sookie pondered that. "Why were there a few souls? Why not just me?"

"He had only you in mind. He knew it would be you before he was making your spirit ready for the adventure that is birth and human life." Briel explained. "But _we _(she motioned to Gabe and herself) have the same gift of choice that humans and magical creatures do. We thought that there were multiple souls out there that could fit His bill."

"He really does have a sense of humor." Gabe smiled reminiscently. "He found it amusing that we thought we had the perfect men for Sookie. Because Sookie had a piece of all of us in her, we thought we knew what she needed. How wrong we were!"

"He indulged us, even though he already knew he had the perfect person. He could see that we were only trying to help. We all loved Sera so much."

"Sera?" Eric and Sookie asked in unison.

"Sera was the name we called you here." Gabe said. "You needed a name and He said that you would want to choose your own. You only wanted to be called what pleased Him, and he said _'Seraphim, you always please me'_. He called you Seraphim as a place holder, but you took his words literally and you made Seraphim your name. We called you Sera for short."

"Sera" Eric said, rolling the name around on his tongue. He really liked it.

Sookie smiled up at him. "My name is Seraphim," she said. "Sera; it's beautiful." Eric kissed her temple.

Briel smiled at them both. "So one by one they were all tested. One by one, they all failed."

"They were simple tests." Gabe said because he could tell they were about to ask. "My guy was a fierce warrior and chieftain. Everyone under his rule seemed to love and respect him both as a man and as a leader. He went down to earth in the form of a helpless woman. She was being attacked by three men. He fought them off valiantly. When she told him that she was lost and she had been separated from her family. He graciously took her back to his home. His servants tended to her wounds, and he vowed to help her find her family.

"That night when everyone was in bed, he went to her room. He said that she owed him for his help and hospitality. She would either have to pay him a great sum (which she didn't have) or he would take his payment by other means…"

"That's horrible." Sookie said, completely appalled. "He didn't-"

"Oh no, of course not," Briel said. "She revealed herself to be more than human and told him that she was not in need, but was there to test him."

"He fell to his knees and beseeched her mercy and forgiveness. She told him that he would have to repent to show how remorseful he truly was, but that he was not the blessed soul she was looking for."

"He tried to get her to change her mind but she told him that she would need someone who knew how to do the right thing, even when there's nothing to gain from it. Then she was gone."

"I was crestfallen, that my pick could do such a thing. At the same time I was glad that a soul like his was not bound for my sister." Gabe said.

"My guy wasn't a warrior or a leader, but he was well respected in his community. He was said to be of sound heart, who cared for all." Briel said. "Father went to him as a haggard and homeless old man.

"He was at home alone when the old man knocked on his door. 'I am sorry to bother you on this night but I am starving and I have heard of your generosity. Can you please spare a loaf of bread? I promise I will be on my way after that good sir.' The old man said. But he looked at the old man in distaste. It was very late and no one was on the streets. He closed the door right in the face of the old man."

Sookie gasped. How could anyone be so cruel? Sure she lived out in the middle of nowhere and her only neighbor was a vampire, but she couldn't imagine turning away someone in such obvious need. If she were worried about her safety, she would ask him to move away from the door, but she couldn't even imagine not giving a starving man food.

"The old man knocked again but was ignored; he kept on knocking but he kept getting ignored. Finally the so called compassionate man was so annoyed at the old man's intrusion of his evening that he ripped open the door, to find the old man there clearly more than just a man. He fell to his knees and begged for the old man's forgiveness. 'If I had known you were divine, I would have given you anything you asked for.' He said.

"The old man told him that he thought that he had found a man after his own purposes, but he clearly wasn't if f he was a humanitarian only when someone was looking."

"So as you could imagine, Michael was very smug, we had failed. This only left his chosen; but alas he fell short too."

"Yes, Michael wanted to visit his chosen in person, but Father forbade it." Briel said.

"This should be good." Eric said. Sookie looked at him to see that his face was at rapt attention. She smiled indulgently at him for a moment, but then she realized that in Eric's time this was probably one of the most used methods of entertainment.

"Or it's extremely bad." Sookie said. He looked at her and then nodded in concurrence. Briel smiled at them.

"Well, Michael's charge was a family man. He was a soldier in his town's army, but they were at peace, so he was tending to his farm. He seemed to be a good man, and a strong warrior. He wasn't married but he took care of his widowed mother and his young sister. There had been famine in the land and it had destroyed most of his crops. Money was tight, and people were getting desperate. There had been many thefts in the town, but few had been arrested. The entire town was papered in wanted posters."

"One night a pregnant woman and her husband came to his door." Gabe picked up where Briel left off. The woman seemed to be nearing the end of her pregnancy, though she seemed healthy, he could see a slight gauntness to her features. Her husband looked positively poor. He was a walking skeleton. He surmised that the man had been giving his food to the woman.

"He let them into his home. He didn't have much but he shared what he had. He didn't have an extra room for them but he had a comfortable cot in his barn, they happily took it. For three days, they rested at his home. She cooked, for them and her husband help tend the land."

"On the third day the man was traveling in town, and he recognized his boarders on one of the wanted posters. He read that they were wanted by the brother of the magistrate for theft of property. The magistrate's brother was offering sixty pieces of silver for their arrest. He took the wanted poster with him back to his home. When he went back home his mother told him that they had lost the remainder of their crops to locusts. The young border went to inspect the crops before he got ready to finish the harvest.

"He realized that they didn't have enough already harvested to make it through the winter. He thought of the wanted poster. No it wouldn't get them through the winter, but maybe between what they'd already harvested, the reward money, and if he could pick up work…"

"He showed his mother the wanted poster." Briel's voice was tinged with sadness. "She took one look at it and was resolute to get their boarders out before they could be captured. She knew that the magistrate's brother was a vindictive, petty, and just a very dishonorable man. He didn't even get a chance to tell her his plan. He disregarded her, she was just a woman, and he would do whatever he had to for them not to starve.

"That night, after everyone was in bed, he went to the magistrate's brother and told him of the fugitives. He gave him the silver on good faith, that if they weren't there tomorrow night he would take their place in jail for theft."

"He went back home and went to bed. The next day the man's mother came to him and said that their boarders would leave under the cover of darkness. She spent the whole day preparing food and blankets for them to take."

"The afternoon came and the woman's water broke, they wouldn't be able to leave for a few days. The man took this as a sign from the gods that he had made the right decision. She stayed in labor for the rest of the afternoon. At first darkness she was finally able to give birth, to a baby boy. The men clasped hands, and the man's mom tended to the woman and her newborn."

"When Michael's chosen man looked at the newborn, he realized that he had just sentenced this innocent child's parents to jail, and there would be no one to take care of him. In the next moment men broke into the barn and hauled the new parents away. His mother kept hold of the baby and swore to take care of him until they came back. He asked the magistrate's brother what they had done for him to put out the reward for their capture. 'They stole from my storehouse.' He replied. 'I cannot allow anyone to take anything that is mine. I don't care if one of them was pregnant! I will teach them both.'"

"He was horrified. He had imagined that they had stolen something of substance, or maybe hurt someone. He tried to tell himself that they'd done something ruthless to warrant such a vicious hunt."

"His mother was heartbroken. She took the infant to bed early that night. The man lied in bed trying to ease his mind when he fell asleep. He had a vision of the couple. They told him that they had gone to the magistrate to find work so that they could buy food. He sent them to his brother who needed a couple hands. The magistrates brother had made them a deal to pay them food for the work they did. When it was time to pay he refused and sent them away. They were starving and so the husband broke into the storehouse, where the magistrate's brother, kept the abundance he was hording. He didn't care if he didn't eat but he knew his wife had to keep herself healthy for the baby's sake. Then they told him that they were messengers of God, and that he thought that he would be a chosen man for him.

"He begged their forgiveness; he tried to make them understand that he wasn't going to make it through the winter without the extra silver. They told him that if he would have trusted in God to provide for him, he would have been blessed with abundance. They told him that the man God was looking for would be a protector against those that are openly nefarious."

"Unfortunately while this was going on, Eric was turned." Gabe said. Sookie half way expected him to look sorrowful but he didn't. He said it like he was telling them the day of the week.

He noticed her confusion. "What's wrong Sera?" he asked.

"You say that Eric was turned like it wasn't a bad thing. He lost his life. That's never a good thing."

"You are right. Eric losing his life was a horrible thing, but it had to be done. It was God's will or else it wouldn't have been allowed." Gabe replied.

"Besides," Briel spoke up. "Would you want Eric any other way than you have right now? If he were human he wouldn't be the man you love as you do right now."

Sookie looked at Eric; no she wouldn't trade him for anything, not even another version of himself. This Eric, this version of Eric was the only one she wanted. Eric hugged her tightly when she said this.

"I love you too lover." He said as he kissed her temple.

For a moment she forgot that they were in the presence of others; she just let herself melt into the magnificent being that was Eric.

"How precious." She heard Briel sigh. Sookie looked at her and smiled. She gave herself a mental shake to clear all the Eric-cobwebs from her mind.

"So how was Eric tested if he was already turned?" She asked.

"Well," Gabriel said looking at his "brother in arms" with a proud expression. "We thought that Father would immediately test him, but He said that he was too human still. That confused us because we couldn't see that as a bad thing. He told us that He wanted to show us why He chose Eric. So the years passed, and He threw hardship after hardship at Eric. For two hundred and thirty years, the humanity was beaten and drained from him. He was a true vampire in every sense of the word. He was ruthless, and smart, and he was great at maneuvering. He was a survivalist, he had many close calls but he always managed to bring himself out okay."

Sookie saw that Eric was smiling; his eyes had glazed over in remembrance of his violent past. Sookie frowned and for the first time since they came here, she was glad that she couldn't hear him.

Gabe continued the story. "Eric was in Scandinavia, traveling north. It was a bitter winter. He was traveling through a forested area-"

"There was a kid." Eric interrupted. By the look on his face Sookie could tell that he was already a thousand years away. Gabe nodded for him to continue. "I was coming back home. I hadn't been back for a century. I came into a clearing and there was a kid playing on a pond where the surface had frozen over. He ran up to me when he heard me coming through the trees. 'Oh, I'm sorry mister.' He said when he saw that it was me and not his little friends. He asked if I had seen any kids in the forest, and I told him I hadn't seen anyone. I told him that he should be at home at that time of night and that his mother would be worried. He promised that he would go if his friends didn't come in the next few minutes. I kept walking; what did I care, he wasn't my kid. He wasn't afraid of me, I don't think that he could tell that I was a vampire, but I have always been good at hiding my identity. He began playing on the ice again as he waited. I heard it crack and in the next moment, he was under the surface."

Sookie gasped in horror and she clutched Eric's hand even tighter. He looked into her worried gaze and directed the rest of his story at her.

"I was going to walk away, leave him there to die; but before I realized that I had even decided otherwise I was on top of the ice. I could hear him faintly beating on the ice; he had drifted away from the opening that he had fallen through. I punched through the ice and grabbed him. His body was shaking violently from the cold. I took off my coat and wrapped him in it, and then I followed the boys trail back to his home. I banged on the door until someone answered. His mother was frantic and his father went straight to their fireplace and put more wood on the low fire.

"In her excitement she invited me in. I sat the boy by the fire, and his mother brought out more blankets. She wrapped him tightly and handed me one to warm me up. She pushed a kettle into the fire to warm the water. The kid's dad asked me what happened. After I told him what happened, he was just happy his son was okay and he wasn't even mad at his son for sneaking out. The mother had done all she could for her son, who had finally stopped shivering, and she began to fuss over me. I knew I had to get out of there, they still hadn't realized what I was and I thought that one scare was enough for them. I told them that I left my gear at the pond. The kid's dad offered to go with me to retrieve it, I declined. They asked for me to stay, at least for the night and I accepted that only because I knew they wouldn't let me leave until I agreed. Of course I never went back."

"Oh Eric, that was so brave of you." Sookie said. "But I thought that they said that you were a hardened and ruthless vampire, why did you do it?"

"I had nothing to lose from helping him." Eric said dismissively.

"You had nothing to gain from helping him either." She countered.

"He was young, and the young should never die if it could be helped."

She thought about it. She remembered when she was in elementary school and one of her schoolmates was hit by a drunk driver. He was killed. Being around people at that period was particularly hard. It was bad enough being around older people that died, but when a kid died, all she wanted to do was stay in her room. The thoughts around her were unbearable. It was truly a horrible thing to lose someone young, no matter what time period it is.

"Was that kid God?" Sookie asked.

"No." Briel answered. Sookie furled her brow in confusion. Briel smiled. "He was in standing in the forest. He watched the whole scene. He was going to be a beaten woman that Eric found in the woods. When Eric found the kid, He just watched what Eric did."

"He was very proud." Gabe said. "That was one bet that we were all happy to lose."

"If this happened when Eric was two hundred and fifty or so years old, how come it took so long for me to meet him?" Sookie asked.

"Because though Eric had the raw material that Father was looking for, he still needed to be molded so that when he met you, he would be ready to be the type of being who could handle a love like yours." Briel said.

"And that takes time when you have to contend with free will and someone who is as stubborn as Eric is."

"Did you know Eric before he was sent to earth like you knew me?" Sookie asked.

"No." Gabe replied. "We are Arch Angels, we don't help with creation. We are fighters; we defend what is our Fathers'."

"So why did you know me?" she asked. What was so special about her that they would know her, and yet not know Eric who had to be a born warrior?

"You are a fighter too Sookie, like us." Briel said proudly.

"No I'm not." She disagreed. "I'm just a southern girl who happens to be in love with a wonderful man. Eric is the fighter, not me. I don't want to fight. I don't like to fight."

"Shh Sookie, its okay." Eric tried to sooth her. He pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her.

"Of course you're a fighter Sookie." Gabe said. "You've always defended your family and your friends, whether they were magical or not."

"Face it Sookie," Briel said gently. "You are a protector."

They let all the information they revealed sink into Sookie's head. They could tell that she was reeling already. They didn't have much more to cover, but what they did have to cover was massive. Still they thought that they could give their sister a little while to get her feet back on the ground.

"I'm specially made by God?" She checked with them again. They nodded in unison. Her head was spinning.

"Don't worry yourself about it Sookie." Gabe said. "So you're specially made by God, who isn't? We were all made completely unique."

She smiled weakly. She could tell that he was trying to make her feel better. She also knew that what he said was the truth; there may be twin people but there weren't any twin souls. That's why we all had to stand judgment alone.

She took a deep breath. Maybe what they are saying are true. She never shirked her responsibility, even when she wasn't looking forward to it. She definitely wasn't a coward. She never shied away from a fight, especially when her friends or family were on the line. She never tried to start a fight, and she tried to avoid fighting wherever possible; but she never ran away from doing what she had to do. She didn't want to fight Lorena, but she fought and killed her. She didn't want to kill that witch, she just wanted him to let go of Pam, but she stayed strong when he impaled himself of the knife she was holding. She didn't like Debbie Pelt, not by any stretch of the imagination; but she didn't hesitate to shoot her in defense of her and Eric's life. She had stood up for Sophie-Anne in a room full of vampires that would have happily drained her. She could have gotten away when Jake rose as a new vampire and attacked Amelia, but she didn't run; she did everything she could to help Amelia get away and she got bitten herself. When she and Quinn were kidnapped, she stabbed a guy in the eye with a screwdriver. Okay, maybe Gabe and Briel had a point; she definitely was a fighter. She didn't like to fight, but she didn't shy away from it either.

She nodded. "Will you tell us what's been going on with us?"

Gabe and Briel regarded each other for a split second before Briel began to speak.

"We told you earlier that Father saw a time when the magical community and the human community would get along in relative harmony; and that there would need to be a champion. You are that champion, you both are."

"When we say champion we mean a kind of mediator between the races. Eric commands respect; he is a fair Sheriff and that is what makes his underlings very loyal to him. You, Sookie, are loving and selfless. You draw people to you; they know you will do anything to defend them so they do the same for you. You get along with all walks, vampires, fae, were-wolves, and shifters. Where they won't trust one another, they will trust in you."

"Yes but humans still think I'm crazy." Sookie pointed out.

"Only the ones that knew you when your gift was young and untrained. They are only scared because they don't understand your gift; but even though they don't understand you, they know that you're an honest and stand up woman. They know that you are caring and loyal. They may not understand you, but they do grudgingly respect you." Gabe said passionately.

Sookie cocked her head to the side and regarded him for a moment.

"It frustrates me when I see how badly they can be." He explained. "Sometimes it's hard to see how badly humans can treat those they don't understand…especially you."

Sookie blushed. "Thank you."

"It seems that you and I have something in common." Eric said to Gabe. She knew all too well how he felt about those that treated her badly.

"You two are made to go together, made to fight together, made to champion together. Eric has the experience of a thousand years; he knows the politics and ways of most magical creatures. Sookie is fierce but untainted; she hasn't been irreparably altered by all the ugliness of the world. She is compassionate and can relate to many. You both have your separate strengths, but you were made to go together." Briel explained.

"You both were endowed with power that could only be brought out by the other. It was designed to come out little by little. You were supposed to be able to get used to the new powers and master them slowly." Gabe stepped in again.

"But unnatural powers have forced an acceleration of their development." Briel said. Sookie thought that she sounded a little frustrated. "The energies that you have been able to manifest so easily in the dream realm are a representation of your life force. You were given the dream realm so that you could have a safe place to train while your powers develop."

"That is also the reason why you have been granted such access into each other's mind. Your bond is the gateway that has allowed all of this to come forth." Gabe said. His eyes were twinkling with excitement. He was even more breathtaking than before. "Your souls are the source but your bond is the channel it flows through."

"Why do we destroy things?" Sookie asked as she blushed furiously. She could see that Eric was calm; he had the appearance of someone taking mental notes. She wished she knew what he was getting out of all of this, but he was just as quiet as he's been since they'd arrived. "And why can't I feel or hear Eric now?"

"You destroy things when you make love because your bodies have not been readied to deal with the power that flows through you, so it lashes out." Briel said. "When you make love, your spirits join with each other. It's the only way you know of how to connect that deeply with one another.

"You cannot hear or feel each other because this is Heaven. Here you stand alone. Though you were made for each other, you are still separate entities."

"Unlike Gabe and me; we are actually one in the same. Even when we are separate like this we are still one in the same. You are like the reverse of us. We are one that can separate into two. You are two that can come together as one. Although you cannot hear or feel each other you still have been able to get an impression of what the other is thinking or feeling."

"What powers were we supposed to have?" Eric asked; and indeed Sookie could feel that he had been holding that question in.

"Everything you have been able to do in the dream realm. Don't get it confused, you both can still dream regular dreams, but when you both enter the dream realm, it is a living replica of the real world."

"But I can touch Sookie's sais and they are made of silver, does that mean that I can touch silver in reality and not be burnt?"

"Yes, you can." Gabe said with a conspiratorial smile. Sookie had to suppress a grin. "You two are truly one. You can touch silver because Sookie can touch silver."

Eric was shocked; they were connected even more then he could have ever imagined.

"You said 'You two are truly one' instead of you two _were_ truly one. If we are dead and we are separate here in Heaven, shouldn't you be speaking to us in the past tense?"

Gabe and Briel smiled simultaneously. Sookie could see what they meant by them still being one even when they were apart.

"Are we not dead?" Sookie asked guardedly. It would be a cruel joke for her to get her hopes for life up; besides that spear passed right through her heart, she was as dead as dead could get. She was in _Heaven_ for…well, Heaven's sake.

Gabe and Briel's smile grew wider.

TBC

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	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Okay everyone here is chapter 14 for your viewing pleasure. My beta did have a few questions but I tried to answer them in the story so that you all wont have any problems. Still I think that its best if you read this chapter twice. The first time because I know that you just want to get through it to see what happens, the second time because theres a lot of info in this chapter and I want you to be sure to get it all. As always you can ask any questions you want and I will be more than happy to answer.

You don't have to worry, this won't be severely Christian, but for this chapter you do have to remember that they are in Heaven still. Without further ado, please enjoy.

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Chapter 14

"Answer her!" Eric demanded, she could feel the tension rolling off of him.

"Sorry," Briel said with a small giggle. "It's just that we came to this juncture quicker than we thought we would."

Eric growled.

"Calm down brother." Gabe said. "Technically you both are dead."

"But you have important work to do." Briel said; she still had a slight smile she was trying to suppress. "So as of now your deaths are more of a temporary situation than a permanent one."

Tears welled up in Sookie's eyes. "How can that be?" She cried. "I killed us."

"What!" Eric asked severely.

"If I would have just warned you instead of jumping in front of you, you could have ducked and we'd still be alive. It's my fault that we're dead." She sobbed.

Eric pulled her close and Briel came and kneeled in front of her while Gabe sat to her side and took her hand.

"Don't ever say that Sookie." Eric said fiercely. "You were willing to lay down your life for mine. I could have let you. But I just couldn't do it just like you couldn't. You are not the reason I am dead Sookie, haven't you been listening?" She couldn't speak. "Sookie it's because of you that I've lived."

"Yes Sookie, listen to him." Briel implored. "This isn't your fault; it's neither of your faults. You were just trying to protect yourself. Protecting Eric is a part of protecting yourself."

"Would you do anything different?" Gabe asked. "You knew that you could shield Eric from harm. You didn't know if there was enough time for him to react. If you could go back with the same knowledge, would you change what you did?"

Would she change tossing herself in front of Eric? No. She didn't want to ever think about it. Her body physically rejected the notion. Her throat closed and her stomach lurched dangerously. She felt a sharp pain in her chest that was unlike anything she'd ever felt.

Eric held her tighter when he felt her begin to shake. "Shh my love." He said. "This is not your fault. I am so honored that you would so freely die for me. You already know that I would do the same for you, and have done the same, and would do it again if I had to. Besides, this is just one step in our journey together."

"He's right Sera." Gabe said with a little squeeze of her hand. She noticed he used her other name. She didn't know why but she felt comforted by it. "You two never had a chance. A great evil has come and we've had to accelerate your progress."

"What evil?" Eric asked. Surely Felipe couldn't be that big of a worry for an angel…unless there was more to it than he was seeing.

"We will talk about that later. First, I must tell you both about yourselves." Gabe said. "Essentially you both will work as one. It is great that Sookie hasn't been turned because you both will inherit the other's strengths, and yet none of the weaknesses.

"Eric, you are able to touch silver because Sookie can touch silver. You will be able to go into the sunlight because Sookie is able to."

"Although I'm afraid that you will have to be powered up with the golden enclosure around you in order for you to go into the sunlight." Briel injected. "As time goes on, you will be able to do it when you draw your energy inside yourself; but that's still a while off for you, right now you need the protection of your enclosure to protect yourself from the sun."

"But you will _never_ be able to do it when you're not powered up. "Gabe cautioned. "So don't even try it, or you will have the same result as any other vampire."

As amazed as Sookie was she was even more curious. She almost didn't want to ask because she didn't want to seem slow but she couldn't help herself; they would just have to think whatever they wanted about her. "Why can he touch silver but has to be powered up to be in the sunlight? Shouldn't he have to be powered up to do both?"

Briel smiled at her confidently, and not as if she had to bring the poor country bumpkin up to speed again. "Silver is a simple element." She said. "It naturally occurs as an alloy with gold and also other minerals. It is mostly produced as a byproduct of refining gold, copper, lead, and zinc. It's not a living thing; it's just there on the earth.

"The sun however is a life-bringing force. Millions of things depend upon it to live and that makes it infinitely more complex. Like the earth, it is a living thing that produces life and has the ability to take it away. Eric is still technically a vampire, there's no way to change his essential makeup."

"Even with you Sookie we didn't change you," Gabe chimed in. "We just enhanced what was already there. Vampires' burn in the sun, there's no way to get passed that."

"So, we gave a way for him to get _around_ it." Briel finished.

They gave her a few moments to think it over. She didn't know what Eric was thinking but she was sure that he was turning everything over in his head. Even when he looked like he was she knew Eric _never_ sat idle. After a little while Gabe continued.

"If it's necessary then you can move around in the day time too with a clear head and without fatigue, like you do at night, if you are powered up." He said.

Eric looked like he had been hit in the head by a big rock (well that has happened once, just not at this moment). Sookie squeezed his hands reassuringly, but she could feel that his mind was still reeling too much to register the pressure on his hand.

"During the day you should still sleep." Gabe said. "Your body needs the time to regenerate." Sookie could see Eric's eyes dancing even though he wasn't looking directly at her. "You are still a vampire and you need to sleep the day just as Sera will need to sleep eight hours to be refreshed. If you don't, you won't just fatigue yourself, but Sera also.

There was a huge smile on Eric's face. He let go of her hand so he could wrap himself around her body again like before. Only this time he wasn't hugging Sookie in comfort but out of jubilation. She wrapped her free arm around his waist and returned it fiercely. He kissed her passionately and his lips were exuberant.

Briel, who was still kneeling in front of Sookie stood up and took a few steps back from them. She held her hands out towards them with her palms up. A long, thin cloud enclosed her hands, and then it dissipated. What was left was a bright gleaming silver sword. It was Eric's sword.

He'd prized it above all his other possessions because his father had given it to him as a symbol of his coming into manhood. It is also the same sword he used in his first battle, proving his adulthood many times over. The fact that it was jewel encrusted, and that the hilt was made of silver, was just a sign of his and his father's status. He loved it so much that he's kept it perfectly preserved through the centuries.

Now it looked brighter than he'd ever seen it. Briel held it out to him, and then placed it into Eric's awaiting hands. He inspected thoroughly. It was definitely his father's sword. The only difference, besides the brilliant shine, was that now there was the same mark on the blade-right under the hilt-that he'd noticed on Sookie's sais.

"What is that?" Eric asked.

"I have improved your sword for you." Briel answered. "Only you may wield it. You will be able to call it to you at any point and time you wish. If for some reason someone else needs it, you can will it to work for them but it will be nothing more than a sword to them. It's been made for you and you alone. It has special properties of its own. If someone touches it who means you mortal harm, it will kill them; all that it would take is a graze of their skin to come in contact with it. When it's not in use, then it will come to me until you call for it again. It will not ever tarnish or degrade in any way. More importantly, no weapon would be able to stand against your sword."

"Except Sookie's." Gabe said. It sounded like an afterthought but somehow she was sure it was anything but. "That would be interesting."

Sookie laughed at the idea of her and Eric fighting against each other; soul mate or not the thought of having to fight him still terrified her. Eric smirked, and Briel ignored him. She just shook her head and kept on speaking.

"The mark on the blade is our mark; the mark of Gabriel. Most of everyone on earth won't know what it means but it's going to come in handy."

Sookie ran her fingers over the mark, it vibrated under her touch. She knew that it was just a piece of steel but she was sure she could feel a life force from the mark that was different from the sword itself. The sword felt like Eric, the mark did not.

Gabe laughed, and Sookie stared at him wide eyed. "That tickles." He chuckled. Briel smiled but still rolled her eyes.

Sookie wasn't sure what to do but she found her voice ringing out through her mouth anyways. "Are you sure you are a fighter?"

Gabe laughed harder at her. "Just because I'm a defender, doesn't mean that I can't have a sense of humor."

She looked at Eric for some direction, but he just smiled at her and shrugged to tell her she was on her own.

"You used to love my sense of humor Sera." He claimed.

Sookie had to laugh at that. "It must have had to grow on me."

Eric couldn't hold his humor in anymore, the look on Gabe's face was priceless and his laughter rang out. Even Briel was laughing, though she was trying hold them back with a hand over her mouth.

"This half of me doesn't think that was funny." He told Sookie though she could see the corners of his mouth turning up.

"Well," Sookie shrugged. "I'm half-way there because she thought it was hilarious!" She pointed at Briel, who was overcome by another fit of giggles. This time he couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his face.

"Here," Briel said once her giggles subsided. "This is for you too." She held out one of her hands and this time a dagger appeared. Except for a single ruby on either side of the hilt, the dagger looked like it was solid silver. Eric examined this too, it also had Gabriel's mark.

"Thank you, they are magnificent." Eric murmured as he stroked the gleaming blades.

"Use them well." Gabe said. "They will serve your every need."

"Of course." Eric said. "I can't begin to express my gratitude." He nodded. Then the weapons disappeared from his hands and they looked at Gabe and Briel, who were smiling indulgently.

"Don't worry," Briel said. "They will come back when you need them."

Gabe squeezed Sookie's hand to get her attention. "Sookie, these belong to you." He waved his hand and two weapons appeared in front of her; her sais.

She plucked them from the air. They were the exact same ones from her dream realm practices. She rubbed her hands across the blades. They pulsated under her touch. They felt like coming home again after such a long absence. They felt like they were a natural part of her again.

"And of course," Briel spoke as she produced a smaller version of Eric's sword.

Sookie gasped, she truly just thought that the sword was just something that Eric cooked up for her to practice with. She didn't know they were real; and by the look on his face, neither did Eric.

"We thought that it was a good idea for you to have the sword too." Gabe said.

"So we made it for you. We knew that if you had to have a sword, you would want one like the one Eric gave you in the dream realm. There's going to be the same deal with your weapons Sera, just like Eric's." Briel told her with a smile.

"Just as Eric is taking on some strengths from you, you are going to take on some things from him. You two have already found that Eric can read minds using your connection but that vampire minds were easier for him to read than they were for you. Well, now you will be able to hear everyone as if they were human. No mind will be able to keep you out; but you will feel the blocks that some have put up to keep you out. It's going to be up to you whether or not you respect those blocks or not. There won't be a question of trying to block anymore; you will now have complete control. When you want to hear you will, when you don't you won't. Whether you are listening or not Eric will still be able to tap into your gift and listen for himself; though I guess I should say that you can block it from him but I doubt you would ever want to. Because Eric can fly, you will be able to also, although you may want to let him teach you the finer points of flying until you get the hang of it yourself." Gabe smiled at her; clearly he was going to love seeing her try to fly independently of Eric.

"Of course you will have an acute sense of smell and better sight, far better than any vampire on earth. You will be able to move faster than any vampire too. Both of your strengths will be greatly magnified, far beyond anything you've come into contact with. Sookie you must learn restraint."

Sookie was looking at Gabe like he was speaking a foreign language, but she got the feeling she was supposed to nod here and so she did.

"Sookie you will have inhuman strength that your body just can't handle until you transform. You have to understand that as exceptional as you are, you are still human. So when you power up your body will change to accommodate it." Briel said.

She remembered when she first powered up, and Niall brought her the sais to her in the dream realm. _You are truly a beautiful fairy_ Niall had told her. "I will be a fairy." She stated instead of asking.

"Yes." She replied. "We've strengthened the essence within you. Technically you are full blooded fae, but you will only look the part when you power up and transform. Other than that, you will still be quite human…at least you will look quite human."

They paused for a moment to let it all sink into Sookie's head. She's a specially made angel put into a human's body. She was created for Eric and he was molded for her. She was only human now in the technical sense of the word, because the fairy essence has been strengthened within her; but she will only look like a fairy when she's powered up. Was that everything?

"I feel like my head is going to explode from all of this information." Sookie admitted.

"I know the feeling." Eric quipped and gave her a reassuring hug.

"We're sorry, but we have a lot to cover and only a short period of time to do it in." Briel said.

"What's going on?" Eric asked.

"I promise that we will get there, we just have to get through this first." Briel said. "Are you ready for us to continue Sookie?"

"Yes, but can you tell me what I am? Am I human? Am I a fairy? What exactly am I."

"You are human, Sookie." Gabe said. "But you are a fairy too." He saw the frustrated look on her face and continued quickly. "You are a completely new hybrid. You have every bit as much fae in you as your cousins, or your great grandfather; but you have enough human in you too to allow you to appear so at will. I cannot say you are one thing or another, because you are not. You are a hybrid."

"But Eric is still just a vampire." She stated; a little frustrated that his category was easier to decipher.

"Yes."

"So where do I fit in?" She didn't want to cry but she felt like the stepchild of a family. She was supposed to fit in with everyone but she really didn't fit in with anyone; there were enough differences between her and the rest of her family that people could tell she wasn't of their bloodline.

"Sera, you fit in with everyone. You are human. You are Fae. You are bonded to a vampire. Some of your closest friends are Were's and shifters and witches. It's like we said. You were made to fit in with everyone." Gabe said earnestly. "Stop worrying so much about trying to fit into one category, because you were made to stand out from them all.

"See," Eric said. "I told you that you were special."

"Specially educated and just plain special is not the same thing." Gabe and Briel looked at her a confused, but Eric smirked. It was nice to know that he still got her brand of humor. Sookie nodded, and after a moment Gabe continued.

"There will be things that you both will need to work on." He warned. "When you are in your protective enclosures, you will be able to throw out concentrated strikes of your energy. You need to practice your aim. When you've drawn your energy inside yourself you will need to practice throwing your energies from your hands. You will need to practice leaving up your shields for extended periods of time; at first it will tire you out, but after a while it will be like breathing. Sera, you will develop some abilities from the Fae, it will take time for them to show however. When they do Niall will guide you through them. As with everything else, Eric will be able to tap into your abilities; though it will be quite a while before he would be able to use them as his own. Are there any questions?"

"How long will we be able to fight?" Eric asked.

"Indefinitely if it's needed," Briel said. "Vampires can fight for hours and hours without rest, but you two will never get tired."

"But understand this." Gabe said, his eyes flashed for just a moment. "You _are_ part human, you still have to eat, drink, and sleep like a human. Eric you will still need to do as vampires do, especially until you are able to draw your energies into yourself."

"Indeed." Briel agreed. "You're not at your maximum until you are able to draw your energies into yourself; and even then you still have to master the Fae abilities that will develop down the line. Please remember that when you first go back, you will not be able to maintain your powered up state for an enormous amount of time."

"Which is why you need to practice keeping it up." Gabe chimed in before Briel spoke again.

"If you try to push your abilities beyond where they are, you will feel it when you power down; and believe me you will have to power down. Whether it's by force or by will it will happen, and you will feel everything you've subjected yourself to."

"This will weaken you as a couple because it will open you to danger when your body tries to compensate; you may even sleep for days at a time so make sure you're in a safe place. When we send you back, it will be at the point in the battle just after you were speared."

"You both will be fully powered; there will be no hiding this. Everyone will see what you can do."

"There's no way to avoid it. If we wait any longer then innocent people will be killed. You have to defend the party. That was just the first wave of supernatural's. The second will wipe everyone out. This is the tip of the iceberg and you are going to need those that were attacked to back you later."

"I have a question." Sookie said, she was half tempted to raise her hand but she just wanted to change the dark mood. "Why does Eric's blood taste so good to me? And why do I taste better than a fairy to him? You just said that I am a fairy."

"You taste like that because you truly are an angel, past the building blocks of your physical body. Your soul is the soul of an angel, and your blood holds an imprint of that. It doesn't hold your soul itself, but a pale reflection or echo of your true spirit. Eric tastes the way he does to you because his soul, though not an angel, has been touched by God; so his blood holds an echo of that. This is why you must not let anyone drink from you, either of you. Neither one of you will go crazy because you yourself are blessed, but no one else would be able to handle it." Gabe answered.

"Oh yes," Briel said. "You two only feed from each other correct?" They nodded. "Good because Eric will be best satisfied from your blood Sera. He can drink from others or even the synthetic blood, but it won't sate him the way you do." Briel explained.

Eric turned to Sookie and wagged his eyebrows and gave her a leer that was just so _Eric_ that she couldn't help but laugh...and blush.

"We don't want to put you on overload or anything but there's one more major thing you need to know about Sera before we get down to business." Gabe said suddenly serious; he walked over to stand next to Briel.

"Sookie, Sera, you will not age any further than you are right now." He said seriously.

"Does that make her immortal?" Eric asked through his shock. Sookie was too stunned to do anything but listen.

"No, she will be impervious unless she consciously opens herself to danger." Gabe replied. "Like when she lets someone feed from her."

"Will I hurt her?" Eric asked hesitantly. Was it just Sookie or did Eric sound a little scared? She couldn't tell without their bond, but there was something about his voice…

"No, though she will taste even better to you then the last time you fed from her, you will have greater control over yourself."

"Plus she will be able to close herself off to you if it is necessary." Briel added. "The same goes for you Eric."

Sookie knew right then that he had been very worried about her because she could feel him physically relax next to her.

"But she is not immortal; she will die when she is called home."

"And while we are on the subject of blood and feeding," Sookie began slowly. "You said that neither one of us will go crazy from drinking the others blood, does that mean that other's will?"

"Yes, and this even includes Eric's child Pam. She and Eric no longer share enough of the same blood to make it safe for her, he is too much changed." Gabe said. "Your blood is so far beyond anything that is on earth that it will drive them crazy. Even one drop of either of your blood in the wind will draw vampires for miles around."

"Exactly how crazy is crazy?" Sookie asked. She wanted to have a complete grasp of what she was dealing with. She'd been in several situations with Eric where she had to give him blood. Once when Debbie Pelt shot him in the chest (even though she gave him synthetic so that she would have the strength to clean up Debbie's remains); and again when Mickey threw a big rock through her apartment window and hit Eric in the head. She knew that she would give Pam or even Bill blood if it was an emergency.

"The kind of crazy where they would need to be restrained several months per _drop_ of your blood they have. They will want more of your blood so badly that they will massacre entire cities to try and sate the thirst your blood will cause." Gabe said sternly.

Sookie's eyes grew wide. "Wow." She said; it was all she could manage. _Several months per drop of their blood?_

"This is important for the both of you. No matter how bad the situation, your blood will make it worse for them, not better. Your blood holds great power." Briel stressed. "Neither one of you can open yourselves to anyone else. Even after they have been restrained and have regained their right mind; they won't be able to be around you anymore without a great urge to drain you."

Eric and Sookie looked at each other. She could see that he was thinking of his child; but they knew that they must heed Gabe and Briel's words. They didn't want to bring more harm to her so they both nodded.

"I have a question." Eric said suddenly. Gabe and Briel looked at him intently, waiting for him to continue.

"All of this seems a little farfetched for someone like me. I'm not a Christian, I have never been. Why would God want someone like me to be with a precious gift like Sookie?"

This time instead of speaking back and forth between each other they spoke as one; they spoke as Gabriel.

"Eric, you have always been a faithful servant." They said. "You pray regularly and you give offerings, and you always listen and follow the Lord's wishes. Are you perfect? No; in fact you are quite far from it, but you're very devoted."

"Yes, but that doesn't change the fact that it's not God that I was praying to. Freyja is my keeper, and Odin."

"This is true." They conceded.

"So that still begs the question as to why me?"

They were silent for a moment, trying to decide the best way to explain. Sookie noticed how they tilted their heads at the same moment to the same side, and they even blinked in unison.

"Eric," they said. "How many languages do you speak?"

Eric smiled. "Should I include the dead languages too?" He asked smugly.

Sookie stifled a giggle. Eric was a studious man, and she was sure that over a thousand years he had racked up the perfect dialect and languages of many, many language.

"Exactly." They said. "How many ways can you say chair or father or sky?" They asked rhetorically. "You may speak it in different tongues but they all have the same meaning."

"I don't understand." Sookie admitted. Was this one of those _a rose by any other name would smell as sweet… _meanings?

"Many millennia ago, before Jesus was born, before Moses was even thought of humans worshiped nature and the Great God that controlled it. They said prayers for the wind or the rain so that they would work in their favor; and then prayed to the Great God for his help in all things.

"Father delighted in his creations. He loved mankind so much and he would walk among them. He enjoyed walking the vast plains or the lush forests. He delighted in swimming in the seas. Sometimes He would come across someone and they would think Him to be a god. There are several mythical gods that have gotten their start from Father walking the earth and helping those in need. It would make Him even more mystical that he would appear in times of need and then disappear when they had been helped.

"One day Father was roaming the countryside when he came across Lucifer who sought to trick the Lord. 'Of course they love you.' He said to the Lord. 'You walk among them and help them when they need it.'

"'_Is that not what a father does for his children?'_ Father asked. 'Yes,' said The Fallen One. 'But they only love and worship you because they need things from you. They need You to bring the sun up. They need You to make their crops grow. They need you to bring their infants into the world safely. But if You created a means for them to help themselves they would no longer turn to You, and they would forget about You as quickly as the sun leaves the sky.'

"Father got mad at The Deceitful One. _'Do not tempt me like I'm a mere mortal.'_ Father told him. _'I'm your creator. Tell me what it is that you want.'_

"'I want to walk the earth freely and without restriction.' Lucifer answered.

"'_No,_' He answered firmly. _'You are jealous and you seek to only corrupt and destroy what I've created. Go away. I am not some child you can spout your poison at to get a rise.'_

"Lucifer was forced to the ground from the timbre in Father's voice, but he continued pompously. 'You can make it easy. Just choose anyone you want to govern the earth. Any humans that you deem worthy. Give them strengths and abilities that they may do their jobs. Let them do great works in Your name so that the people can proclaim them gods. Let them be corrupted. When they proclaim themselves gods independent of You, and the masses worship the gods that freely walks among them instead of the God that works from afar; I will be free to walk among them as long as I wish. I will be free of consequence. I will truly be able to show the world who the better god is.'

"Father looked at Lucifer with mournful eyes. _'How did you ever get so far away from me my son? Do you really believe that your power is equal to mine? Have I not already proved you wrong when you were banished? If you are so much greater than I then why do you need me to help you escape Hell?'_

"'You have bewitched me. Hell sucks my strength away. If I were to walk the earth, I will be free of the ties that bind me and I will be able to return to my true home as its _true_ King. Do you agree?'

"'_Do you know what omniscience is?' _He asked but Lucifer just glared at Him instead of answering the rhetorical question. _'Before you even approached me you had already lost. Why are you so willfully blind to who I am? You should know better than anyone that I cannot be manipulated or tricked. You seal your own fate. When you lose you are banished for all time, from not only earth, but all the lands and seas that I have created in all the galaxies in all the universes. You are banished from everywhere except where you belong, in Hell.'_

"Lucifer was horrified. This was not what he had intended. He had to save his energy for what the earthly equivalent was a hundred years just to be able to spend a twenty-four hour period on earth. Hell truly did subdue him, and he tried to escape it as often as possible. If he lost this then he would even lose that ability; but he couldn't recant after all he'd said in order to entice the Lord. He wouldn't give Him the satisfaction."

"But how could he bet against God?" Sookie interrupted. She was incredulous that anyone could be so willfully stupid. Gabe and Briel laughed she said as much to them.

"He believes that he is Father's equal." Briel tried to explain, but it just made Sookie wonder how delusional you had to be to think you are equal to the person that _made_ you. Not turned you like vampires, but literally out of absolutely nothing you came to be because He willed it.

"And that's the reason he was kicked out." Gabe commented, but then they went back to their story together.

"So Father went and found worthy humans. He endowed them with great power. He told them that all they had to do to please Him was to serve mankind. They all agreed. He even set out to set a good example by introducing the chosen to Odin, Freyja, Zeus, and Hera. The gifted ones just assumed that they were one of their own number; but in reality they were chosen Archangels who were ask to walk with them and guide them."

"And they had no idea that they were walking with true angels?" Sookie asked before she could stop herself. She was so deep into the story that she didn't even realize that Eric was stroking her hair absently.

"No." They answered.

"So does that make Eric a Christian since he's been praying to God's servants? It's no different than the way Catholics pray to different saints…right?" Sookie asked.

"It is different in the sense that Catholics know who they are praying to, and Eric didn't know the true identity of his gods. And no, a Christian refers to someone who believes that Jesus Christ is the son of God and was sent to trade his life for the sins of mankind." Gabe said.

"This just means that Eric has always followed God, whether he knew it or not." Briel said with a small smile.

Sookie could feel Eric's uneasiness as he processed what he was hearing. She was amazed at how much she could still sense about him even without the blood bond. She kept talking so that he could have a few minutes to his thoughts.

"Have you met him?" She asked.

At that they actually laughed. "Of course; He is brother to us all."

An interesting thought occurred to her. "Have I met _him_?" She couldn't help but ask. If she was going to meet Jesus then she was going to need to change into a different dress.

"Yes you have, when you were Sera." They said. "Or I guess I should say it was before you went to earth, because you are still very much Sera."

"Will we be able to meet him again before we go back?" Her voice was timid, and her stomach was in knots. She had a stray thought of how human she felt…even in Heaven.

They stopped smiling at that question.

"What's wrong?" Sookie asked.

"We're afraid that it won't be possible for you to meet them." They said apologetically.

"Them?" Eric asked.

"The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit." They said. "If you were to look upon them, you would have to stay here until it was possible to send you back reincarnated; and you are meant to go back _now_. You can't go back to live on earth after you've beholden the face of God. We are sorry."

Sookie's face fell. "It's okay." Sookie said and Eric wiped the tears from her face that she hadn't realized was there. She didn't even realize that she as getting her hopes up until that very moment.

"So what happened next?" Eric asked; he was hoping that she would get engrossed in the story again. After all the time he's known her he's gotten used to her crying but he still hated it with a passion. For her to be crying in Heaven just made it a thousand times worse.

"They all did well. They helped humanity. They worked very hard and they gave all the glory to God. For about two hundred years everything was in harmony. But Lucifer never gave up; he worked tirelessly. He was finally able to get a foothold in Aries, Guardian of Soldiers. He convinced him that God didn't endow him with his powers, but only released what was already inside of him. Aries was a good man, but had a prideful streak; he was all too willing to believe the lies of Satan.

"With Aries' help, Lucifer was able to spread his lies to the rest of the chosen. They entombed Zeus, Hera, Odin, Freyja, and Thor when they refused to go along. Then they declared _themselves_ gods and began ignoring the people and indulging their whims.

"Now, even with the introduction of the chosen, humans never stopped worshiping the Great God of the Earth and Heavens. Though they did offer thanks to the chosen, in recognition that they had been chosen by the Great God to do his bidding, they never stopped worshiping the Great God himself. When the chosen declared themselves gods and demanded the people worship only them, the people screamed blasphemy and revolted. They prayed to the Great God to send them help. Send them Odin, Zeus, Freyja, Hera, and Thor, who seemed to have disappeared. They thought that the so called gods had done something to them. Hearing their cries, God commanded His angels to reveal themselves to Thor, who was the only loyal chosen one.

"They broke out of their tombs so that they could round up the rogue gods. The traitors felt when their captives had broken free because they used the combination of their own essences to imprison them. They called to Lucifer who appeared before them along with his strongest demons, and they descended upon God's true chosen. Michael and I went to earth along with three of our best fighters." It surprised Sookie a little when she heard them say _I_ when they were separated, but she didn't break the trance of the moment.

"Of course humans couldn't be blind to the battle of the gods on the earth. They saw us descend from Heaven and they knew that the Great God was on the side of Zeus and Odin. We could feel their prayers for our success as the great battle raged on. We slew the gods and the demons Satan recruited to fight. Lucifer left the battlefield and returned to Hell to await the outcome. He wanted to make sure that he wasn't slain if the battle turned against him.

"Father commanded Lucifer to appear before Him, and though he tried to resist, he had no choice but to comply. He appeared prostrate at the feet of Zeus and Odin. When he saw them standing before him he was outraged at their gall. 'I will kill you happily.' He promised.

"_'Really?'_ we heard a voice say out of nowhere. There was a blinding light and a crack of thunder so loud that the earth shook violently. Father appeared, standing between Zeus, Odin and that ungrateful wretch. _'You threaten my children fallen one?' _We all fell to our knees. Satan struggled to try to get up but he couldn't manage it, the power of the Lord was too great upon him. He couldn't even get to his knees.

"_'I trust that I don't need to speak our agreement again?'_

"'You may have won the battle but at least I know there is a foot hole. They forgot about you and worshipped the chosen gods.' He replied defiantly.

"_'Actually sightless one, they didn't forget about me. They didn't make the chosen gods. They declared themselves gods and when they did humanity cried out to me.'_ He let his words sink into his head, and then watched his face fall when he realized he was right. "_'Be gone, you tired wretch. You no longer belong here. Ever.'_ He nodded to Michael and I and we drug his worthless carcass back to the pits he came from. We left him trapped in the gates of Hell."

Sookie had been hypnotized by the rhythmic words spoken in two beautiful tones. She could see the fierce battle in front of her. She could see Gabriel fighting hoards of demons and the other gods looking fierce and dangerous and absolutely breathtaking. She could see a beautiful man fighting. He had hair as dark as coal and eyes of ash. He was both beautiful and terrible at the same time. He was fighting hard, but then the demon by his side was decapitated and he turned to run away from the fight. He was dodging Zeus's lightning bolts until he was finally able to disappear, right before Zeus threw a lightning bolt that landed right where he disappeared. Then she could see him bowed before the one chosen and nine angels of Heaven. She recognized Zeus from before. Then she could see them no more, just the beautiful terrible man still prostrate on the ground, and now the others on bended knee around a blinding light. Then Gabriel and another man she assumed was Michael drug the terrible beautiful one away. She couldn't help but gasp.

"Sookie?" Eric said giving her a little shake.

She jumped. "Sorry, I guess I was just a little too into the story."

"Me too." He replied. It looked as if he had been lost in his own thoughts too. "So you're telling me that there is no Odin or Freyja or Zeus or even Hera?" She couldn't decipher the look on his face. She pulled herself into his lap and wrapped her arms around him. She had a feeling that his world was shaking at the foundations. Freyja and Odin were two pillars upon which his world was built.

She thought about how she would feel if it were the other way around. If it were her who found out that God and Jesus were actually incarnations of other gods. She hugged herself tighter to him, making sure that there was no space in between. He held her close, stroking her hair and nuzzling his head into her neck. It seemed to calm him.

"You okay?" she asked. It was a stupid question of course he wasn't okay, but she didn't know what to do besides hold him.

He didn't get a chance to reply to her stupid question because Gabe interrupted in a more alert voice.

"It's almost time." He said, and then continued after a minute. "Eric, we aren't saying that Freyja and Odin don't exist because they do. They're actually just Archangels, not gods. They are your guardians. You are the only being to have Archangels as guardians…excluding Sookie of course."

"Wow," Sookie breathed. She was still holding onto Eric tightly but she looked at Gabe and Briel. "This is amazing, who are my guardians?"

"We all take turns watching out for you, but it's mostly Michael and I. We knew you best, we are more attached to you."

"Really?" Sookie couldn't help but ask. She was grinning broadly at her guardians. "That's so amazing; no wonder I feel so connected to y'all."

"Yes." They said together. "We know, but now we must prepare for you to go back. "Please stand."

They complied. Gabe and Briel turned to face each other. There was a blinding light and another whooshing noise and once again Gabriel was in front of them. Now that Sookie had the opportunity to study Gabe and Briel separately she could tell that Gabriel wasn't as androgynous as she first believed. He was distinctly male. His clothing had changed though. He was now wearing what she equated to Roman war fatigues; he was dressed for battle.

He had a golden breast plate with a straight knee length kilt and a royal purple cloak that was fastened on both sides of his breast plate. He still wore leather sandals.

"There are things that we must warn you about." He said.

Sookie could feel the shift in Eric's whole demeanor. He was no longer a student learning history in class but a warrior getting ready for battle.

"We just need to wait for the others to arrive." Gabriel said looking around.

"What others?" Sookie asked. If she wasn't going to meet Jesus, who could she possibly be meeting?

Before Gabriel could answer they were engulfed in bright lights and swirling winds. Suddenly they were completely surrounded. Three men and two women joined Gabriel in creating a circle around her and Eric.

She knew that if they were anywhere but Heaven, Eric would have tensed for battle because of the sudden appearance of these strangers.

The man standing to Gabriel's left was just as tall as Eric and just as brawny. He wore the same ancient Roman military gear as Gabriel. His arms and legs were large and well defined. He had on leather sandals like Gabriel too. He had long wavy black hair that fell just past his shoulders, and startling blue eyes that were the color of the clear blue sky. He had a strong jaw line, nose and full lips. All of his features were eye grabbing but it fit perfectly on him. Everything about him screamed strength and power.

He introduced himself, confirming with a deep voice what Sookie already knew. This was Michael.

Next to Michael was a beautiful and very pale woman. Her skin was like porcelain and was flawless. She was as tall as Claudine and had deep red hair that hung all the way to her waist. Her eyes were almond shaped and seemed to be an odd golden color with red flecks that matched her hair. Her features were very delicate. She had a slight smile on her face but her lips were not as full as Briel's. She had a very lean body, but it was well toned. She wore a halter dress similar to Briel's, only hers came to just above her knee.

"Hello," She said to them. She had an alto voice that sounded like a song or coming home again. Sookie wanted to wrap the sound around her entire body. "I am Freyja" she sang.

Eric fell to one knee before her. "My lady." He said with reverence.

She took him by the arm and pulled him to his feet. "Do not bow to me. You are my brother; and it was not only my duty but my pleasure to watch over you." She smiled and touched his cheek with the palm of her hand, and then stepped back to reform the circle.

Sookie had no problems identifying the man that stood next to Freyja. He looked almost exactly like Eric…if Eric would have been changed ten years later than he had been. He was about two inches taller than Eric but he had the same long blond hair, the same crystal blue eyes, the same strong features and powerful build. Though he was barely noticeably slighter than Eric, he still exuded the same confidence and strength and power that Eric had. It seemed to fill up any room they were in; with this man it was no exception, it washed completely over them.

Eric's eyes widened as he took in the angel before him. It must have been odd to see what you'd look like if you were left to age normally. This man, who was obviously Odin, had a few more laugh lines than Eric around his eyes. She could only see Eric's when he smiled, but Odin's were proudly on display when he wasn't. The most prominent difference between Eric and Odin was Odin's chest length beard…which twitched as he began to smile at them.

"I am Odin my brother." He said unnecessarily. His deep voice had the timbre of a storyteller; purposeful and with a slight beat. "It is good to meet you too sweet Sera."

Eric bowed his head respectfully. Sookie could feel the waves of happiness that flowed from Eric. She felt comforted that if she wasn't able to meet her God at this moment, then at least Eric was able to meet those that he'd so long thought was his.

"I am Hera.", said a melodic voice. They turned to see a woman whose beautiful black hair fell to just below her breasts. She was olive toned and had hazel eyes. She seemed impossibly beautiful. It almost hurt to look at her. She had rounded cheeks that dimpled even when she wasn't smiling. She had wide and full lips to the extreme. She was wearing a Grecian style floor length dress that gathered over to one shoulder.

"Pleased to meet you." Sookie said shyly, and Eric nodded to her politely.

"You too Sera." She replied with a familiar wink.

"And I am Zeus." Said the man to Gabriel's immediate right. He too was dressed as a soldier with a silver breast plate and a red cloak trailing behind him. He was handsome with his shoulder length pearly white hair, and his closely cropped beard and moustache.

"I can't believe that I'm meeting y'all." Sookie gushed. "I have read so many stories about all of you."

"Yes," Hera laughed. "It's amazing what things the humans can come up with."

"Do you want to start?" Gabriel asked, looking to Michael-who nodded. If Sookie remembered her bible correctly, Michael was like the General of God's army. She paid special attention to him.

"The attack on the banquet you were at was a deliberate attack directed at the two of you, and the two of you alone. The demon Lilith has been moving around a lot, though we aren't sure if this is or isn't in connection with Felipe."

"Felipe?" Sookie interrupted. "Is Felipe really after us?"

Michael waved his hand in front of his own chest and a white cloud like substance swirled in front of him. This acted as a screen.

He showed them what happened to Felipe the night of the banquet. They all watched him talking to a woman. He called her "Seer".

"She is an actual seer who told us what she saw as Felipe's reaction before she presented herself to him. He's going to lure you into a trap to kill you." Michael said as he waved the cloud away.

"So we have to worry about a demon and Felipe?" Sookie asked wearily. Eric wrapped his arm around her, but she could tell he was distracted. If she knew her vampire, and she did, she knew he was setting up a war board in his mind. He was labeling all the known and unknown variables. He was already putting all the players in their places.

"Do we know what Felipe is after?" Eric asked.

"Most likely to eliminate you both; from what we can tell, he doesn't realize that it's already too late. You will be able to use this."

"And the demon?" Eric replied.

"He will want you both though if he has to he will eliminate you to preserve Sookie."

"Why?!" Sookie asked a little scared. A demon? Vampires, werewolves, and shifters she could handle; but now she had to defend herself against the minion of the devil?

"You are an angel. She will want to consume you and harness your gifts. Eric would just be icing on her cake."

"But we will have to worry about Lilith later." Gabriel said. "We will learn all we can so that we can help you."

"He's right." Michael agreed. "Right now we will have to worry about Felipe. Remember what the seer said, many kings and queens will follow him."

"And although you can win on your own, it's too much to take on so soon, especially before you have full control of your gifts." Freyja chimed in.

"You also need to bring other supes together." Odin said. "That means raising an army of your own."

"But it shouldn't be a problem." Michael spoke again. "The kings and queens that were attacked tonight won't take it lying down; especially after seeing a demonstration of your gifts."

"They will think that Felipe is the one behind the attack. Others who weren't there but who had friends there will be just as willing to fight with you." Odin said.

"Let's not forget the word of mouth in the supe world. A lot of kings and queens will just side with you so that they won't have to be the one to find out if the rumors are true." Hera finally spoke up.

"You can use this in your favor." Zeus advised. "Keep your eyes on your goal, don't get distracted."

"Do you know what happened to Barry?" Sookie asked suddenly. She just remembered their reasons for going to Dallas in the first place.

"Just that he's been taken, and not by Felipe, we are searching for him." Michael said. "I must caution you. Be weary of your friends. There is a betrayer among you." Sookie was about to ask the obvious question but he waved her off. "I can't tell you who because you must discover it yourself, but it is imperative that you stay critical of everyone."

"Even those you think you know." Gabriel added.

Eric nodded. "Is there anything else we need to know?"

"Just that you should keep your resting place from everyone; including Pam, Bill, and your other friends until you know who the betrayer is. In the beginning you will sleep longer but that will soon fade."

They nodded their understanding.

"Then you are ready to go." Michael stated.

"Wait!" Sookie almost yelled. She turned to Eric. "Will you marry me?"

He looked shocked and slightly confused. "But we are already married. You are my bonded."

"Yes but I want to make it official so that it cannot be disputed in either the supe world or the human world. Besides we are in _Heaven_, surrounded by _Freyja _and _Gabriel_, how many chances like this will we ever have?" She pleaded with her eyes.

How could he resist her? They were already married in every way possible, what was one more? Besides, he'd marry her a thousand times if it made her happy. She was right too, if he had to get married in the human sense of the word having Freyja there would make him feel a lot better. It was odd to think of her as an angel and not a god, but he found comfort in her all the same.

"Do we have time?" He asked Michael.

"If we hurry." He replied. "Time stops for no one, but we've slowed it down so that we could have time to explain things to you."

"Great!" Sookie squeaked. "Gabriel will you preside?"

"Of course, Sera, I would be honored." He smiled at her, and then turned to everyone else. "Okay everyone split up."

Eric Stood in front of Gabriel. Freyja and Odin stood, facing Eric's side. Zeus, Hera, and Michael stood opposite Eric. Sookie was about to take her place when Freyja stopped her.

"No Sera, that dress won't do." She waved her hand in front of Sookie and Sookie's body was encased by a white cloud. When the cloud cleared she had on a pristine white dress. It seemed like it glowed. It was weightless on her. It went straight over her breast from one clavicle. To the other the only thing holding it up was clear straps around her arms the front draped simply to the floor. The dress was completely backless and came to a point at the top of her tail bone. She had on a crystal choker that had a silver chain trailing down the center of her back and clipping onto the bottom of the dress. The skirt of the dress flared out delicately. She had on clear strappy heels with crystals delicately placed around it.

Freyja waved her hand again in front of Eric and his torn and bloody clothes disappeared to be replaced by black slacks and a white dress shirt. There was no tie and the first two buttons on the shirt were unbuttoned. He wore a black jacket over his shirt, it too was left open.

"Sookie you look magnificent." Eric said, taking in her dress.

"I could say the say the same thing about you." She smiled coyly.

Michael cleared his throat pointedly.

Hera rolled her eyes at Michael. "Oh give them a break, they haven't had the easiest time lately and it's not getting any better. Let them enjoy this."

"Yeah," Seconded Freyja. "Now walk her in a circle so that she can walk up to Eric."

"Why? She's already here." He pointed out.

"Because, a bride is supposed to walk down the aisle." Hera explained. "Now get to it we are running out of time."

Michael rolled his eyes but held out his arm for Sookie, who took it timidly. As they walked in the circle, she couldn't take the silence.

"So I hear you're my guardian." She said.

"Technically." He replied.

"What was I like?" she asked.

"Pushy, and goofy, and sweet, and obnoxious." He said as if he were reciting the days of the week.

"We must have gotten along famously." She quipped.

He burst into laughter. Sookie relaxed, she had been intimidated by Michael. She didn't feel as connected to him as she did to Gabriel, but now it felt differently. His laughter was familiar. She felt a wall come down. This was her old friend. This is what Gabriel was talking about.

"Will I get to spend time with y'all, now that I remember you?" She asked.

"Not like we used to, but we will see each other some."

"Will you tell me stories about what we were like back in the day?"

"Back in the day?" he asked.

"Yea, back before I went to earth. When you Gabriel and I were four pea's in a pod."

He chuckled at that. She noticed his smiles came easier now. "Sure, if you would like."

"I really would."

"Okay then, we will do that." He promised.

"Thank you Michael." She said and kissed him on the cheek.

"Anytime, sweet Sera." He replied. They had come back to where they began and Michael released her back to Eric.

"Heavenly Father, we stand before you humbled by Your grace. We stand here to ask your consent to join Your chosen with Your beloved." Gabriel said. He paused for a moment, but then a dove appeared to fly over and land on Michael's shoulder. Everyone, but Eric and Sookie bowed to the dove. Michael bowed his head respectfully.

Sookie realized that this was a symbol for God. She bowed her head to him respectfully and then held her hand out to the dove. "Please?" She asked. She just wanted to feel close to Him. The dove obligingly hopped into her hand. Eric bowed respectfully and twined his hand with Sookie's so that the bird rested on them both.

"Eric Northman, Chosen Son of God, do you take our sweet Seraphim to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love honor and cherish her for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do." Eric answered in a voice so full of love it made Sookie shiver.

"Sweet Seraphim, Beloved Daughter of God, do you take the chosen Eric Northman to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love honor and cherish him for as long as you both shall live."

"I do." Sookie answered. Her voice was shaking with emotion.

"Then by the grace of God, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride." Gabriel beamed at them.

Eric kissed her gently and lovingly. It made her want to cry because she could feel the strength of his love, and it was overwhelming.

He pulled away when the dove took off but hovered right above their heads. They both instantly felt the loss of His touch, but they were so filled with love both inside and out, and they knew He was happy with them.

Their ring fingers felt distinctly warm. They looked down to see that both of their ring fingers were now adorned with platinum colored rings.

Eric could see a dove facing directly up, there were other symbols going all the way around the band. He noticed that there was another dove directly opposite the first one; between the two doves were three different symbols on both sides. There was only one that he recognized, Gabriel's mark.

Sookie too turned her ring around. She had an emerald cut diamond that was perfect, not too large and not too small. As she turned it she too recognized the mark of Gabriel. There were two more next to his, but she didn't know them. At the very bottom of her ring, opposite the diamond, was a dove; then there were three other symbols.

They knew Gabriel's mark from their weapons and they could guess the dove was the mark of God but they would have to ask about the others.

Before they could even open their mouths to ask, the dove began flying higher into the air. They watched the dove fly gracefully through the air and then disappear, replaced by falling white rose petals that showered everyone. Everyone clapped and beamed at them and they forgot their questions. When the shower of petals stopped, Michael spoke again.

"Congratulations both of you, but it's time to go back now." He said. "When you go back, people will have seen you lying on the ground for a minute before you disappeared.

"Eric, you will have to guide Sookie in her flight, you will appear about a hundred feet above everyone's head over the exact spot where you two fell. Do you have any questions before we do this?"

Sookie took a deep breath but shook her head. She could see Eric shake his head too.

"Okay, it's time to power up." Michael said.

They opened the bond as far as possible and let all the love and comfort and devotion wash over them and fill them up. They realized that the bond wasn't gone like they thought it was just closed off so that they could have only their own thoughts and feelings. They locked eyes and it all exploded out of them.

Sookie could see the highlights being chased from his hair as it now glowed gold. It shifted around his head like he was underwater, even though there wasn't any wind. His piercing blue eyes disappeared to be replaced by glowing solid gold eyes that shined brightly. In her periphery she could see that she was standing inside his golden enclosure so she took a step back so she could get the full effect of him. He was breath taking. She watched him in awe. His clothes had changed; he was wearing his white tunic and black leather pants and black leather boots from the dream realm. She gasped. His sword was slung around his back and she could see the dagger hanging beautifully off his hip. Power rolled off of him like she had never noticed before. His whole being seemed to glow gold. She could see the electrical currents flowing around his golden enclosure powerfully, like they were just barely being maintained. If she wasn't in Heaven and surrounded by Archangels she would jump on him right then and there.

Eric was just as hypnotized by Sookie. Of course he had seen her power up in the dream realm but that was nothing to how she looked right now. Her hair flowed gracefully around her head, moving silently to the wind that was not actually there. Her beautiful golden locks were gone replaced by magnificent silver ones. It satisfied him to see her wearing the sheer red tunic with red leather pants and red leather spike heeled boots he'd created for her in the dream realm. Looking at her now, he could see that it did her no justice in the dream world. Her sais were strapped to the outside of her succulent legs and her sword was strapped to her back like his. He could feel his golden enclosure brighten as he locked onto her silver eyes. It was hard for him to keep the electric currents from lashing out at his new allies. He could see her silver enclosure glow brighter as she took him in too. When she returned his gaze he felt her give into her lustful feelings a little and lightening actually struck out from her silver enclosure narrowly missing Michael and striking one of the stone benches.

"Careful Sookie." Michael warned as he moved out of the way.

"Sorry Michael." Sookie said as she peeled her eyes away from Eric. "It's just that I felt…" Her eyes widened. "Eric."

Eric's eyes blazed at her. "I felt you too, lover." Eric said.

They both looked at Gabriel. "It's been returned to you, so that you can go back." He explained. "You didn't need it here, I'm sure you both were still able to feel each other without the bond."

They thought about it. Yes, they were able to feel each other still. Only it wasn't from the inside like with the bond, it hummed around them…

They nodded, still exploring the bond and reveling in having it back.

"_Man I love her, she is truly magnificent."_ Sookie heard Eric think. Her eyes widened at him.

"_I heard that."_ She said. He smiled at her mischievously

"_Good."_ He replied. _"Know that I will have my fun with that outfit at the first chance I get lover."_

Sookie shivered with her own pleasure and it didn't help that Eric was pushing all of his lust at her too.

"Eric! Seraphim!" They heard Michael's voice boom, knocking them from their internal dialogue. "Control yourselves." He commanded.

They looked around to see their new friends and allies had scattered and now stood about twenty feet away from them.

"What happened?" Sookie asked confused at why they were so far away from them.

"You two." Freyja laughed. "Those lightening strikes may not kill us but they will cause a great inconvenience."

"Not to mention that they don't feel so good." Gabriel added with a playful look at Zeus, who rolled his eyes.

"And you two were letting them strike out like a lightening storm." Hera said with an indulgent smile.

Michael wasn't smiling. "You two must learn to control yourselves." He said stiffly. "If you lose control like that on earth you could kill someone."

Eric looked contrite (and slightly amused) but Sookie looked guilty. "Sorry." She said in a small voice.

"It's okay." Gabriel said to them gently. "More control will come with time. Just try to be conscious of your surroundings."

"It's time." Michael said. They gathered around Eric and Sookie, creating as tight of a circle as possible without touching their enclosures.

"We will see you soon." Gabriel said.

"If you need to talk to us, you can call us in the dream realm and we will come." Michael said.

"Okay." Sookie said. She was afraid that Michael was still mad at her. She chanced a look at him, only to find that he was staring at her, waiting for her to look at him.

"I have missed you greatly my sister." He said. She could see Hera and Odin who were standing on either side of him look slightly surprised by his words, but he just ignored them. "I've missed having my friend taking my side when Gabriel wants to double team me." He smiled but it was sad.

At that moment all Sookie wanted to do was throw her arms around her friend. She couldn't restrain herself and she jumped toward him. At first the enclosure pushed against his body but he stood his ground against her. Then, at her sheer desire to have him in her arms, her enclosure opened up and admitted Michael. She couldn't even wait to be surprised that someone besides Eric could enter her enclosure. She jumped on Michael, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly to her.

"I love you Michael." She said to her (and his) surprise. "I don't know why because I don't know you, but somehow I do know that I love you."

He hugged her tighter.

"You are my friend and my brother." She said as she cried silver tears. "We will know each other again. I promise." She pulled away to smile a watery smile at him. "Come to me as soon as you can. Things are going to be hard on both of us for a while. Take refuge with us in the dream realm when you can and we will learn our friendship all over again."

"I will." Michael promised. "I have a sister and a new brother to learn."

"Yes you do." She said and she kissed his cheek.

"Sera…" He began, he still held her off of the ground in his arms. "There is something that you want that I can give you."

"What?" she asked confused.

"A way to help." He answered slowly.

"A way to help who Michael?"

He smiled sadly. "You will know when to use it when the time comes."

Sookie thought about it. There were so many people she wanted to help. She wanted to help find Barry, she wanted to help find Octavia and Amelia, she wanted to help her friends of different races heal the gap between each other.

Eric knew before she did what she would decide. Sookie couldn't help but want to help someone, no matter what it cost her. He had to admit though, that that was a part of the appeal of Sookie.

"Of course." She said soberly. "Anything I can do to help."

He nodded. "Eric, come hold her waist."

Eric walked over and entered Sookie's enclosure easily. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, which wasn't so easy because Michael still had her in his arms. But he trusted the angel; he didn't know why but he did, and his gut feelings were usually accurate.

"Sookie, I am going to have to kiss you." Michael told her. She was stunned, but Eric wasn't.

"What!" he demanded, reassessing his gut feeling.

"The gift I give, is a complicated gift. It can only be given through an act of love." He explained. "Kissing her is the only way to pass it from myself to her."

"If what he is bestowing upon her is what I believe it is, then he is right." Odin said. "A kiss is the only way to pass it because it's the simplest act of love."

"You can trust us." Freyja said. "We will never lead you astray."

Eric took a deep breath. If he didn't trust any of these other angels, he would trust those that had lead him faithfully so far. He tightened his grip on Sookie's waist and sent her love and understanding through their bond.

Sookie didn't want to hurt Eric. Even though he sent her copious amounts of love and understanding she could still feel his turmoil. She was conflicted. She knew that Michael would never offer such a thing unless he thought that the absence of it would cause her great hurt. She wasn't sure how she was so sure of this but she was. She knew that Michael didn't have any interest in her as anything other then a sister. She was his best friend, and he was hers…..

She didn't know where all this certainty was coming from but she felt that she would just trust in her friend, and another blessed of God's.

"I want to help." She said in a small voice. Michael nodded solemnly. "Will this hurt?" she couldn't help but ask; he had Eric take her waist for a reason.

"Yes." He answered honestly. "But we will have you."

She couldn't speak so she just nodded. If she spoke she would chicken out and Sookie Stackhouse was no chicken!

Michael gave her a moment to compose herself and then he gently pressed his lips to hers. They were warm and soft and alive. He let his gift build inside him.

Sookie felt Michaels soft lips press to hers. It was pleasant but it was nothing like kissing Eric. Michael's kisses were filled love and respect, but not fire or desire. Sookie relaxed against him. She felt a rumble of happiness come from Eric as he felt the indifference to the kiss of Michael.

Michael felt the gift build inside of himself and then when it was ready, he parted Sookie's lips and forced it inside her. Her body jerked as his gift entered her body. Sookie's body seemed to vibrate with the energy that had entered her. She jerked her head away from his.

"Hold on Eric!" he urged. Sookie was now shaking violently in their arms. Her screams pierced the sky. They were losing their grip on her but they struggled to hang on. Then her body went limp.

He and Eric slackened their grip on her body. They lowered her to the ground on her knees. She was breathing heavily as if she had just run an immense distance. She was trembling. Eric was about to let go of her waist so that he could move to her head.

"No Eric, not yet." He cautioned. Eric held onto her waist just in time, because Sookie screamed harshly and loudly. Eric wanted to cover his ears but he dared not release his grip on her.

He looked around to see the other angels covering their ears with a sympathetic look on their face. Just then something exploded within Sookie and her silver enclosure shot out from the three of them and swelling easily over a hundred feet. It knocked the others harshly back. Michael and Eric were permitted because they were already inside its protection.

Then her enclosure shrank back to normal as she tried to even out her breaths.

"Michael," she huffed. "What-in-the-name-of –my-Father-was-that?"

"Sorry Sera." He said stroking her hair.

"Are you okay lover?" Eric asked worriedly as he gathered her into her arms. Somehow she seemed to be glowing even brighter than before.

"I'm okay Eric. Michael, what do I do with…whatever that was?" she asked, turning just enough in Eric's glowing arms to look at her friend.

"I promise that you will know what to do. It's something that you have been wishing for. When the time comes, the gift will tell you what to do. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes." She answered. _'Can we get up Eric?'_

He helped her to her feet all the while pushing strength to her.

"Good because you literally knocked everyone off their feet." Michael said with a smile he was trying to suppress as he wave to the others who were flying back to their group.

"Oh my," Sookie said. "How is that possible?"

"You are an Archangel Sera." Gabriel said as he landed. "And here in Heaven, you are just as powerful as we are." He began to straighten his clothes.

"Here, the _both_ of your gifts are magnified, just like ours." Hera said as she ran her hand through her long hair.

"I am so sorry you guys. I didn't mean to do that."

"They know that Sookie." Michael said. "If they were paying attention instead of being in awe of how well you contained the gift, they would have seen it coming and would have been prepared."

"What do you mean?" She asked confused. That was indescribable to her. She hoped that it would be put to great use because she didn't even want to think about what it felt like to take that gift into her.

"I mean that it's usually much worse on people." He said with some due pride in his old friend. He had been afraid that being sent to earth, and going through those horrible experiences had changed the Sera that he'd known. She truly was his best friend, but now he saw that she was the very same beautiful spirit that he loved before. Sookie, the earthly manifestation of his friend, only enhanced the Sera he knew.

"But we don't have time to get into all of this. I will answer any questions you may have when I visit the two of you in the dream realm. It's past time. You must go." He said as he walked out of the protection of her enclosure.

He and the others once again created a tight circle around Sookie and Eric's enclosures. They stood about and arms length away from each other.

"You can't move from Heaven to Earth yourself, so we will send you." Michael said. They raised their arms so that there was only an inch between their hands. They began to glow.

Through their enclosure, Eric and Sookie could feel the power the angels were summoning around them. He hugged Sookie close to him, her silver enclosure inside of Eric's gold one.

"Good luck to you my brother," Michael looked at Eric. "And my sister." He looked at Sookie. "We will see you again soon. May God be with you."

They felt a warmness come over them as their friends disappeared from around them. Once again, this time with new life, they disappeared into the white void…together.

TBC

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A/N: I just wanted to thank everyone for all the support. Your reviews mean so much to me. I look forward to hearing what you all think of this chapter. Thanks again.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I do not own any characters that appear in any Charlaine Harris book, everyone else is mine.

A/N: I know that this chapter took a long time for me to post but to tell the truth after the reviews and the PM's that I received from the last one I pretty much decided to quit. The reviews weren't so bad but I got some truly horrible PM's. I just want to say that I asked you all to trust me in this story. This is not an overtly religious story and if you would have just given me time to show it you would have seen it. The time and talk that was done in Heaven was more of an explanation of where Eric and Sookie's gifts come from. That's it. I told you before that this story came about because I wondered what would happen if it were God who played the active role instead of the mythical gods. I can handle critiques and criticisms meant to help me become a better writer, but there is no justification for the PM's that were sent. If you don't like where my story is going then don't read it. Trust me you are not hurting my feelings. Nothing and no one is going to stop me from changing the story that I first intended to write, nor will anyone cause me to end it before it's meant to be. This is a story meant for enjoyment, anyone taking it as more than that needs to get over themselves because I am so over it.

With that said. I would like to thank all of those who sent me great reviews and support. Your the reason I decided to keep going and as my Beta graciously reminded me you are the ones that matter. It took a while for me to read the goodness in your reviews because after the wretched PM's I got I didn't want to read anymore PM's or reviews. So my beta told me to let her be my tough skin while mine was still developing. She said that y'all had some truly great things to say. I had already started this chapter but when I read all the great things that you all had to say, I was inspired to finish. Rest assured that I will finish this story for all of you.

So this chapter is for all my wonderful readers...and my thick skin. Thank you so much, and enjoy.

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Chapter 15

The world had stopped.

"_Nooooo!"_She had yelled. Pam turned just in time to see Sookie fling herself in front of Eric.

Pam was surrounded my three vampires. She was having a blast; she truly was Eric's child. She let the fight continue even though she could have ended it long ago. She danced around their pathetic attempts on her with glee and merriment…until she heard Sookie's frantic voice ring out.

Now she felt trapped. She quickly discarded two of the vampires. She was plunging the third with a stake when she felt something rip through her heart. She fell to her knees, gasping for air that she didn't need. Her vision blurred with bloody tears and she searched the battle scene for what had happened but didn't want to see.

They seemed to be in the center of the battle, the eye of the storm. He held her in is arms as if they were dancing. The spear was in an impossible place. Pam rejected what she saw; what she felt. She sprinted to her maker and his bonded as fast as her vampire legs could take her. Several suicidal people jumped in her path. She didn't wait to see whether or not they were friend or foe. Pam just staked them where they stood.

They had fallen to the ground now. She could feel him fading away. She could see his skin flake. They were touching each other's faces. The pain in her chest had subsided, replaced by an inner peace that she knew wasn't hers. What kind of peace could there be in a world without her maker? She never understood his affinity for a human, but as humans go, Sookie was better than anything she could have imagined.

Pam liked to think that they were friends, but in truth she knew that their friendship never got the chance to fully develop. A new pain went through Pam's chest as she realized she would never have that chance.

Her legs were taking too long; she pushed all her strength into her legs and leapt with all her might. She was going to land right next to them; but before she could even get close, their bodies disappeared.

She landed with a great thud on the hard ground. He was gone. Eric was gone. Her master was dead. It was then she noticed that she was not the only one who saw it. A lion gave a great roar as he bounded up next to Pam, she and Sam stared at the empty place where their beloveds disappeared. Another roar, Bill, sounded to her other side.

But it didn't matter, none of it did. Eric was dead. Sookie was dead. Nothing mattered anymore; they were dead. Technically it meant that she was free since her maker was gone but suddenly freedom felt like Death himself. She didn't realize how much of Eric's vibrant life still filled her. It was like not knowing that a radio had been playing until someone turned it off. She felt like she was missing half of herself.

Where was his body? It should be a pile of ash as it flaked away. She wanted to preserve her beloved maker's ashes to carry with her through time. Where was Sookie for that matter? Ah who care's they were dead, dead, dead.

Her maker, her best friend, her brother, her father was dead? Something horrible clicked inside of Pam. Her sanity left with Eric, it was time for the other side of Pam to come and play. There was no one there who could restrict her, no reason for her to be restricted. It was time to make the world tremble at her wrath.

Bill and Sam looked at Pam; they could feel the rage and pain that flew off of her. They could see the wildness growing within her and something else that almost made them cower next to her. They didn't know who this wild being was because it certainly was not the Pam that they had come to know. They stepped up to her sides though, it was better to help her then to be caught in her way.

She looked around in the direction that the spear came from. There was a man standing there smiling at spot where Eric and Sookie disappeared. He was black with long dreads and multiple facial piercings. He was average height and build, and was flanked by two burly looking men.

Pam roared at them and they seemed taken aback that such a horrific sound could be made by someone as petite as Pam. The dreaded man smiled at her defiantly once he recovered from the look of the beast that used to be Pam.

She took off for him and a second later Bill and Sam were on her trail. They needed to rip, to tear, to bite…to kill. Precious Sookie was dead, and so was a part of them. They followed the beast happily. This was all that was left for them. Pam ripped the arm off the dreaded killer. He howled in pain. Pam reveled in his screams and in the blood that squirted from his amputated limb. She drained him dry. She was unable to control herself. Him she would kill, everyone else she will make suffer.

She bit, sucked his blood, and swallowed. Repeating the process over and over and over again until she drained the vampire. When she swallowed his last drop, she place her hands on both sides of his head and ripped his flaking head off his body.

Sam was vicious but didn't have the desire to prolong the process. All he could think was Sookie, Sookie, Sookie; and with each thought of her he dismembered a part of the burly vampire that was no more of a challenge than a child. Sookie, an arm flew through the air. Sookie, a chunk of shoulder went the other way. Sookie, he clamped down on the inept vampire's neck and tore his head from his shoulders. Sookie, Sookie, Sookie; Sam tore and clawed at the flaking vampire. His beautiful amber coat was stained with blood. He looked like someone had poured a bucket of paint onto him.

Bill was still considered young but he felt a million years old at this moment. He just wanted to beat something. He wanted to make someone to feel worse than what he did, and that's exactly what he did. He pounded furiously. He didn't stop to see who his victim was; he was too busy being satisfied with the crunching sounds of the vampires bones giving way under his force. He was being hit by the vampire but they felt like feathers touching his bloody skin. The vampire's face was unrecognizable, so was the fact that it actually had a head. This was too fast for Bill; he wasn't satisfied as his victim began to flake under him. He punched through the vamps chest cavity and pulled out his heart; then he crushed it in his hand.

Pam snatched out one long dreadlock before it could flake away along with the rest of him. She hopped to her feet and all three of them roared at the rest of the fighting supes. They began the extermination. They began killing with abandon, not discriminating between man and woman, were or shifter. Everyone that opposed them fell along with those who were just in the way.

Then bravura light pierced the night sky. The earth gave a great quake, knocking everyone off of their feet. They'd been fighting in the dim glow from Stan's mansion because all the outside lights had been knocked out, but now they were all bathed in great gold and silver light.

They all tried to get to their feet but then there was a great boom and the earth lurched under them again, and they were once again knocked from their feet.

All of the fighting stopped. Everyone looked up into the illuminated night sky. They averted their eyes, unable to stand the brightness above.

Pam's chest heaved with new life. She clutched her chest as she was filled with the presence of…Eric.

She hopped to her feet, followed closely by Bill and Sam.

"Master." She breathed, complete astonished. Bill and Sam looked at her incredulously, but she didn't care. There was only one thing that could fill her this much, and that was her master, her maker, her father, her friend.

Eric hugged Sookie closer to his body as they looked upon the scene of chaos below them. Everyone was either on their backs or just getting to their feet. All were mesmerized by their reappearance. He could feel the swirling feelings of his child, and he knew that she had become something ugly in his absence.

"Ready for this lover?" Eric asked as they rotated in place taking in all aspects of the scene below.

"As I'll ever be." She replied.

"We could just run away you know." Eric offered.

"We could…but I really don't want to face Michael if we do. Something tells me that he's prone to hissy fits."

"Something tells me that you're right." Eric laughed. "But you know we don't have to do this if we don't want to. We have a choice."

"Yes, I know." She said. "But I wasn't raised to run away."

"No," Eric agreed. "I suppose that's just another thing that I love about you."

Sookie pushed away from Eric but kept his hand. Their spheres kissed each other and they slowly descended to the earth. She could feel his excitement at the impending battle. He was excited about trying out his new powers and seeing if they worked just as well here as they did in the dream realm.

'_I know they will but I still can't wait to see their faces.'_ He crowed. He sounded so excited, even in his minds voice.

She couldn't help but smile. Sometimes it was hard to see how anything could get him down…especially when there a fight on the horizon. As much as she tried to fight it, she was excited too at her first battle. She'd never been the most powerful thing on the field.

'_And I can't wait to see what you can do my lover…'_Eric purred. Sookie shivered sending a lightning bolt striking out into nowhere. Eric laughed. He was happy that he still had the effect that he did on her…it would never get old.

They were thirty feet from the ground and they could hear the gasps of the people around them.

'_I thought they were dead…'_

'_A spear went right through their chest…'_

'_I saw it…'_

'_What the hell is going on?'_

'_Why are Eric and Sookie glowing like that…?'_

'_Is that Eric and Sookie?'_

They could see that not everyone knew what had happened to them. They touched down on the ground, both wearing slight smiles as they watched everyone take them in. They stopped about a foot off the ground.

Pam flung herself at them. She didn't care that Sookie was glowing silver and now had silver hair and eyes or that Eric was glowing gold with solid gold eyes. She was alive again, he was alive again. She was never one for sentiment, that's part of the reason her and Eric always got along so well; but at that moment she wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around his neck, and pull Sookie close too.

"Pam stop." Eric commanded. Pam froze midstride, slightly rocking on her heels from the momentum of her movement. "There will be time later. I am glad to see you too my child."

Silent tears fell from Pam's eyes, she didn't know that hearing his voice again would mean so much to her. Listening to Pam made Sookie want to cry, but she was holding on with all her might. Crying would ruin the new strong Sookie image.

'_Yeah right.' _Eric thought._ 'Like in one night everyone will forget that you cry at the drop of a hat.'_ He teased her; and though she wasn't looking at him she could feel him rolling his eyes at her.

"What are you?" a voice said from behind.

They turned to be faced with Stan flanked by Joseph and another guard. All three were bloody and disheveled. Stan had lost his glasses and his clothes were torn. Joseph and the other guard looked just like Stan but none of them looked to be hurt severely.

"We are legion, for we are many." Eric and Sookie said in unison. There was a collective gasp, and Sookie couldn't hold back her laughter any longer.

Stan's eyes grew in disbelief, Joseph and the other guard actually took a step back.

"Oh come on." Sookie said between fits of laughter. "It's just us."

"Only new and improved." Eric said.

"And besides, we couldn't let our friends fight our battle." Sookie continued now that she was getting control of herself.

"So we came back to defend." Eric said still smiling. He was always better at holding his amusement more the Sookie.

"Even though we had to die first." Sookie said trying to mimic Eric. It occurred to her that they were going back and forth in their speech as Gabe and Briel did. Eric's smile got even bigger at that thought.

Stan seemed to be at a loss for words. His mind was swirling with different thoughts and scenarios. Before it had hurt Sookie's head to hear all the confusion swirling so fast but now it was nothing to her. It was no different than hearing a human.

"You should calm down Stan." Sookie advised. "We are here to help. All those thoughts are going to give you a headache." She thought about it for a while and then cocked her head towards Eric. "Do vampires get headaches?" she asked.

"No, that's a human thing." He said in a sure voice. "But every since I met you I have had to reassess that theory."

"You can hear me?" Stan asked in the icy voice he used when he was trying not to show his emotion.

Sookie smiled. "Of course I can hear you." She said. She could see him throwing up a block but it may as well have been nonexistent. She could still hear his thoughts about this new development just as clearly as before. She was going to say something but she thought better of it. Let him think that he is in control.

Eric heard the mind's intention and didn't even turn from the conversation his wife was having with king Stan. _His wife_; wasn't that crazy? He loved the way it sounded in his mind. He could feel the rush of pleasure Sookie sent him as he thought about it. Without even turning around he threw a lightning bolt to the side where a vampire was trying to sneak up behind them with a sword in hand. He struck the ground right in front of the vampire's feet.

"That's awfully rude." Eric said in a disgusted tone as they turned in unison to face the sneaking vamp. "Didn't your maker tell you that it's not nice to sneak up on people?"

They landed finally though they were still holding hands.

"Come on!" roared the defiant vampire. "There are only two of them; they can't take us all on!"

He sounded confident but Eric could tell that he just wished that he wasn't standing alone. He was regretting trying to kill someone while they were unaware.

There was movement within the crowd as everyone seemed to remember that they were in a battle. They were getting over the sudden reappearances of Sookie and Eric and remembered that the person to their right or left had just tried to kill them.

Pandemonium broke out. Spears and swords and daggers were thrown through the air; the ones directed at Eric and Sookie disintegrated. Sookie let go of Eric's hand, she could tell that he wanted to have fun.

She turned back to see Stan fighting two vampires with swords. One was able to stab him in the shoulder. Stan yelled throwing his head back as the momentum of the blow pushed him. Sookie caught his eyes and motioned for him to move. Stan jumped back as Sookie pushed her silver enclosure forward both vampires disintegrated upon contact.

"Well that can be quite useful." Stan said his face thoughtful. Normally that face would have worried Sookie but now she was too busy being amused by his thoughts.

"Yes." She answered the questions in his head.

He smiled, not the most comforting thing but he was on her side. "Can I try?"

She nodded. With a speed that was hard to not be impressed by Stan grabbed the nearest hostile Were and hurled him as hard as he could at Sookie. Sookie just stood there, she didn't try to duck or try to defend herself; she just stood there as the wolf's body crashed into her lightning encrusted silver enclosure…and completely disintegrated. The next second she felt something at the back of her enclosure. She turned to see the feet of a man disintegrate and Pam smiling like a child that had just discovered a new toy. She motioned for Sookie to wait a minute and Sookie could hear that she was off to find someone else to shatter against Sookie.

She turned back to Stan to see him pushing someone else at her. She laughed; partly from the absurd way her friends were acting and partly from the glee that was coming from Eric in the bond.

Eric had pulled his enclosure in to hug his body so that he could fight. He wasn't just content to stand there in a bubble while everyone else got to fight. He was beheading everything within an arms length of him. Everyone cowered before him and he reveled in their fear. They tried to attack him in multiples but were still no match. He mowed down everyone in his path.

He looked across where the dance floor used to be to see his child having a wonderful time. He felt a pang of pride as she battled a werewolf. She was magnificent to see in action. Besides Sookie, Pam was his greatest accomplishment. They weren't ones to show feelings but he truly did love his child.

He saw a vamp sneaking up behind her with a stake. He couldn't have this. He roared, making the ground quake. Pam turned around but the stake was already coming down. The vampire was unsteady because of the shaking ground but he would still injure her enough to where she could be picked off by another. He could throw his dagger, but it wouldn't make it in time.

He threw his hand towards the cowardly vamp and lightning struck off the ends of his hand, striking the vamp in the head. He disintegrated and the stake dropped harmlessly on Pam's chest. He was aiming for his chest but that would do.

Pam looked at her sire awestruck. She bowed her head to him in thanks then threw herself back into battle. The Were she was fighting seemed to have used the distraction to escape. If he knew his child she would not let him get away.

Eric felt a big pressure against his back and turned to see a tiger disappearing against his shield and Joseph smiling at him. Joseph nodded his head and disappeared back into the crowd.

'_That's been happening to me too.'_Sookie laughed in his head and showed him a picture of Stan. Eric laughed.

'_You should pull your sphere in and have some fun lover.' _Eric said.

They both felt something quirked on the edge of their minds. More than before...way more. Sookie pulled her protective enclosure close into her body and unsheathed her sais.

"SECOND WAVE IS COMING!" Eric shouted.

"NINETY SECONDS!" Sookie shouted.

Most of the first wave had been destroyed, the last of them were being executed. Eric stepped up and Sookie joined him. The others surrounded them.

"This is happening because of us. I'm sorry." Sookie said.

"Don't be." Joseph said. "I haven't had this much fun in decades."

Sookie smiled. "More is coming." She closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment. "Sixty five seconds."

"We will stand with you." A female vampire said. Sookie searched her mind and found that she was queen Arsinoe. She looked so different from the pristine woman she saw before sitting at the table.

"We all will." Stan said. Everyone murmured their agreement.

"Thank you friends;" Eric said. "We know what is going on and what we have to do, but there is no time right now."

"The second wave is twice as big as the first." Sookie said to shocked faces.

"If you will permit it, we will protect you." Eric said. "We will lose too many if we fight hand to hand."

"Twenty seconds." Sookie warned.

"There's a bigger battle coming, one for North America. Stand together and we will protect you." Eric said. "Body guards on the outside, just in case.

Everyone gathered together in a huddle, royalty on the inside and bodyguards and those that were just eager for more action on the outside.

Eric and Sookie flanked the gathered party. Sookie was glad that it was mostly vampires and not humans in the bunch. Humans had a tendency to be slow and ask too many questions at the wrong times. Magical beings never questioned the word of other obviously magical beings…especially when they were trying to save their lives. As she moved into place, her heart was warmed to see the tripod standing behind her and Eric but in front of everyone else.

Eric noticed Sookie's preoccupation and he glanced at the two vamps and the lion that were obviously covering their backs. He nodded to them, which they returned. Then he focused on his end because he could feel the rush of new minds coming directly at them.

They came more as a wave from the ocean than the second wave of an army. Eric had never seen this many vampires and were animals together…not since the last fairy war.

Sookie gasped as endless waves of magical creatures bounding towards them. _'There's too many of them.'_Sookie lamented.

'_I agree.'_ Eric replied to her horror; those were the last two words she wanted to hear from him at this particular moment. _'We have to take out enough of the ones in front to make the others pause so that we can take them out while they are shocked.'_

'_Can you push your shield forward?'_Sookie asked. It was the most logical thing she thought.

'_I haven't but I saw you do it.'_ Eric said gleefully. _'Now is as good of a time as any.'_

Eric was having trouble standing still. Sookie could see him mentally bouncing in place as they allowed the monster wave of creatures flow even closer to them.

'_NOW!'_ Eric shouted in her head; as they could hear slight gasps as the seemingly unending wave threatened to overtake them.

Sookie let her shield explode from her. It wanted to cover her back as well as her front but she concentrated and held control, forcing the silver lightening encrusted enclosure in front of her. She felt where her silver overlapped with Eric's gold. Easily a third of their masses were incinerated. This drew a grander response from the vampires and shifters that they were protecting…gasps and moans.

'_Vampire's are nothing if not articulate.'_Sookie thought dryly.

Eric laughed. _'Well we do have a way with words.'_

As their buddies were incinerated those close behind them jumped back, causing them to begin to trample one another because their momentum wasn't something easily stopped. They lost arms, legs, and complete halves of their bodies as they tried to escape the gold and silver light.

This gave Eric an idea. He leaned in and stomped forward. The ground quaked unsteadily under them as shock waves were sent flowing to the disappearing army.

Sookie distinctly heard a Were think that this was the reason they had left California. Too many earthquakes…. Sookie was amused, but not enough to pin point who it was actually thinking the thought.

As the shockwaves rolled freely under the disarrayed army, they were thrown every which way possible. They bounced off each other.

'_Look target practice.'_Eric said proudly, Sookie giggled. _'Shall we?'_

She nodded and they began flinging their arms and hands this way and that, trying to find the best way to throw lightning bolts.

Eric had problems with aiming at specific parts of his targets. He would be aiming for their chest and hit their head or leg. He would be aiming for one target and hit the one right next to it. He knew he was close, if he could just get the flick of the wrist _just_ right…

Sookie's issues were a little obtuse. As much as this was like the practice she'd already had in the dream realm, it was completely different. When she tried throwing bolts with her hands she was nowhere close to what she was aiming for. She was about two vampires and a Were off on her aim. She quickly got frustrated.

'_Practice makes perfect lover.'_ Eric sounded in her head.

'_I know of something else I'd like to practice…like sex with my husband.'_She began sending him pictures of him taking her bent over the back of his corvette, and then on the hood. Then she sent him a picture of her riding him on his throne from Fangtasia, only instead of it being inside the club it was in the middle of a clearing. They were surrounded by bodies twisted together in lust. Everyone was writhing together feeding off one another's lust and sensual energy.

Eric lost control of himself for a brief second and took out thirty beings with an overzealous flick of the wrist. Sookie snickered. Eric sent her all the lust that she built within him from her vivid images.

Her knees almost buckled. The lustful energy transferred into her shield and it swelled to incinerate ten rows of ten, charring those that surrounded them.

'_Impressive.'_ Eric purred at her.

'_That was an accident.'_ She said. _'But I'll take it.'_

She quickly gave up on trying to do the flick of the wrist in order to control where her silver lightening struck. She let her arms drop relaxed to her side, and just visualized where she wanted the strikes to land. This improved her from one in three to more or less fifty-fifty.

Eric was not one to be outdone and he quickly learned that when he just concentrated on where he wanted his golden lightning bolts to go, he was deadly accurate. He was even able to take out multiples just as accurately.

"Show off." Sookie muttered. She could feel the amusement of the minds behind her as she focused on taking out two weres' and a vamp but got a mixed group of seven. She pouted, not that she had taken more than what she wanted, but because she was still a step behind Eric. Even when they are on an even playing field, he still outshines her.

"Of course my lover." Eric called back to her. "I have to show the others why you chose to bond with me." He was teasing her, and she knew it, but it was still enough to wipe the pout off of her face.

Before they knew it they had taken out three fourths of the now pathetic army before them. The last quarter was looking around themselves, stunned to be the last of their number.

Though none of them spoke, many were wounded. All had lost heart. Eric and Sookie could hear the surrender in their thoughts. They pulled their spheres back in to fit closer to their body. They both leaned forward and stomped on the ground, they once formidable opposition fell to their knees. They didn't get even try to get up, let alone try to trample over one another.

Their protected friends murmured behind them in confusion. Sookie turned around to see exactly what she saw in their minds eyes. Hunger. Hunger for her and Eric, and hunger for the havoc that they were bringing.

There was a strange mixture of surprise and disapproval, fear and relief that Eric and Sookie's attack seemed to have stopped.

"They don't want to fight anymore." Sookie answered their unspoken question.

"So what does that matter?" Stan said; his voice was pure ice. "You don't kill them today so that they can live to try and kill you tomorrow?"

"We will not kill those who have surrendered." Eric said firmly. "Nor those that we acquire." He motioned back at the fallen army.

"If they are sincere, we will let them live." Sookie said, trying to sound as strong as Eric did. He was accustomed to being the one making decisions for others; this was definitely something that she was going to have to get used to. "There is a bigger battle ahead of us, the more in our number the better."

Eric turned to the still kneeling army. "Do you assent to your defeat in this battle?" He asked them as a whole.

As a whole they spoke "Yes." Although in the cases of the few were's that were left they roared their approval, but Eric and Sookie read them perfectly.

"I am Eric Northman and this is my bonded wife Sookie Northman. Your fealty belongs with us now." He announced. They all bowed their head in acceptance, including the weres.

Sookie did a mental count. They now had two hundred-three vampire's at their disposal (as Eric saw it), and ninety-seven were's.

"Who sent you?" Sookie asked. None of them spoke. Eric and Sookie shot each other a displeased glance and then turned back to their newly acquired army.

Their minds were completely blank. Someone had convinced some that their freedom and life were on the line, but none of them can remember who. Some were convinced that their loved ones were being held captive. There were even some that just didn't know how they found their way here, but they did and they were revved up for battle. Who could be powerful enough to influence the mind of so many supes?

Lilith.

A shudder shot through Sookie. It took immense power to erase the memory of vampires hundreds of years old. Sookie remembered all too well when Eric's memory was stripped by a witch, but that was only one person. This was hundreds upon hundreds of magical creatures, all of varying ages, gifts, and powers. Where did she even find this many? Sookie knew that there was a vast supernatural population but it never occurred to her that this many could be concentrated.

She got her answer as she was perusing their minds for any information. Lilith was creating the army she needed…

This realization sent a jolt through Eric, who had turned so that he could address their original party. They shared a longer look. If she sent this many for them already, how many did she have in reserves for them later…-?

'_Michael said not to worry lover.'_ Eric reminded her, though she could see, hear, and feel his mind swirling every bit as much at their epiphany. _'He said that we should concentrate on Felípe and then we will _all_ concentrate on Lilith.'_

'_Yeah, I'm gonna work on that.'_ She said dryly.

'_We trust him.'_ Eric reminded her…unnecessarily. _'We trust them all.'_

'_I know, I know. Let's just go on and get this over with.'_

"You are all to check in with Bill Compton." Eric announced to our newest citizens. "He will take everyone's information."

They heard surprise and confusion in Bill's head. Shouldn't he be in on the meeting he knew was about to take place?

'_Bill, who better to gather information than you?'_ Eric asked him. _'I cannot leave this in the hands of anyone else. We will brief you on everything later.'_

Bill nodded stiffly and then disappeared into the surprisingly well preserved mansion to get essentials.

Sam approached Sookie cautiously.

'_Is that you Sookie?' _he asked. His head was slightly tilted to the side as he examined this new Sookie up close. Her eyes were weird but they were the most beautiful sparkling gray that he had ever seen. He made sure to give her enclosure plenty birth, but he couldn't keep his eyes from following the electric currents that still flowed around. She seemed brighter, and all the silver seemed to just highlight it even more.

She smiled warmly at his kind thoughts. _'It's me Sam.'_Sookie confirmed. _'Are you hurt anywhere?_ She began to sweep his stained body looking for any signs of damage.

'_Naw,' _he thought lightly. _'I had pretty good company.'_ He couldn't help but to think about Bill, Pam, and his three man wrecking crew.

'_Wow.'_Was all that Sookie could say as he not only remembered his deeds, but his feelings as well. _'I'm sorry I scared you Sam, but we went to the most amazing place. It was so peaceful and wonderful and we were just able to be.'_

'_It sounds wonderful Sook. Maybe someday you will be able to tell me about it.' He let out a slight whimper. He wanted to touch her but he knew he couldn't_. He wanted to hold her in his arms to make sure that his friend was back.

She ached to let down her shields, but it was not a good move. She could hear his longing to hold his friend again…even if she wasn't the same friend she was before. She was still Sookie, and that's all that mattered to him.

'_Thank you Sam.'_ she thought back to him in a whisper. _'I think I will, when we actually have time to get into it. When everything is calm and we are catching up with each other.'_

'_That sounds great Sook.' _He smiled a toothy smile at her and if she didn't know that this was Sam she would be a little nervous about the sharp bloodstained teeth. _'I want to apologize-'_

'_No Sam.'_ she interrupted. _'Apologies were for last lifetime. This life time is for new beginnings, and moving forward.'_

He was about to argue that he needed to apologize to her, but she could see that stubborn look she got when she was set on a decision. He was happy to see that even though she was not the same simple (in life and not in mind) girl he once knew she was still the friend that he always had and loved.

'_I love you too Sam.'_ She smiled at him, trying to hold in her tears. _'Will you do me a favor?' _She asked and he nodded. _'Can you make sure that the rest of my cheering section is alright? I can hear them but I can't tell if or how badly they may be hurt.'_

Sam nodded again and disappeared into the crowd. Sookie started towards Eric, the royals, and the royal representatives. Sookie didn't miss that Sandy and Victor were nowhere to be found.

'_I already listened.'_ Eric said when he noticed the directions of her thoughts. _'They are nowhere close…if they aren't dead.'_

She stood by his side, pulling her enclosure closely around her so that it snuggly fit her body just like Eric had already done.

"Your highness, is there somewhere that we can convene? There are things that we need to discuss in private."

They convened, not inside the mansion where many were still about, but about half a mile away in king Stan's personal quarters. Eric had been right about that after all. This was a three bedroom home with a library/office and a pretty comprehensive basement, although the entrance was hidden.

All together six kings and queens were still present; some were damaged but none were in danger of meeting their final death. There were still four of the nine representatives from four states: New Mexico, Colorado, Kentucky, and Tennessee. What was important was the fact that everyone who sent a congregation to the banquet had someone there to represent them had made it through the mêlée more or less intact. They didn't make it through totally unscathed, they all had damage, but the fact that they were even still alive was because of Eric and Sookie…and they all knew it.

They were all lounging in the library trying to be comfortable while their wounds healed, drinking True Blood. Joseph offered one to Eric too but he looked at the bottle like he was being offered a plate of broccoli.

Right now the absent royalty were being informed of what was happening. They had already heard from their reps and now they wanted to speak to Stan. The reps of the absent rulers put their phones on speaker so that Stan could speak to everyone at once.

At this moment Alcide, Calvin, Sam, Jason, Luna, and a man that she assumed was Pack Master Donavan all arrived. Eric waved them all into the remaining chairs. She noticed that they all had on mismatched clothing, that's what took them so long to arrive; they had to find something to wear because they would all be naked when they changed back into their human forms.

Pack Master Donavan looked like he was a lifelong military man. He had beautiful dark chocolate skin that was very smooth. His hair was cut close to his head in a military style that he never took out of his routine cuts and he had an impeccably neat mustache but other than that he was clean shaven. He had a strong build; you could tell that he was still into lifting weights and hard exercise. He looked like he was a shrewd man but at the same time there was a twinkle in his eye that was to the contrary.

They all nodded to her as they took the last open chairs, now only she and Eric remained standing. She could tell that her friends wanted to hug her but they saw them in battle and knew they couldn't. Alcide, Calvin and Jason were all marveling at their up close appearance. By the way their minds were flowing she could tell that they all had a million questions for her but none of them opened their mouths to say anything; but then she should have known her brother better than that.

"Sookie?" Jason said incredulous. "Is that really you?"

"Yea Jason, it's really me." She confirmed.

"What the hell happened to you?" he asked too surprised to edit his words, but she wasn't kidding herself he never edited his words.

"Language Jason," she reminded. "These are kings and queens; you have to be respectful."

He didn't even acknowledge her words; he just continued to marvel at her. His thoughts were broken, he would start on one line of thoughts but something would occur to him and he'd be off on another.

He stood and stepped towards her with his hand out to touch her glowing skin.

"NO!" All the other Were's, she and Eric yelled at him at the same time. Eric didn't care if he hurt himself but he knew that Sookie would be unhappy. Jason jumped about a foot in the air and looked around the room.

"Jason you can't touch us when we are like this." She said gently. "We don't have enough control yet to _not_ hurt you. That's why we aren't sitting; anything that comes into contact with our shields will be destroyed."

"What shields?" they heard from almost all the cells that was still on speaker phone. The good reps used their cell phones to take a picture of Eric and Sookie and send them to their king/queen.

They knew exactly when they were received because they heard "This can't be Northman and his bonded!" "What the f*?!" "What kind of magic is this?" and "What's happened to them?"

"Yeah Sook, I'm your brother and I know you're not wild about me but I think I deserve an explanation." Jason retook his chair.

Sookie was tongue tied; she didn't know what she should and should not say. She could hear that even the phones were silently waiting on her explanation.

"We've been blessed and endowed with extra gifts so that we are able to protect the magical community." Eric said coming to her rescue with a cloudy but true explanation. "We are supposed to act as mediators as well as protectors but two things have come together to threaten that. Firstly, Felipe is planning a progressive plan to be the first ruler of North America. Taking over Sophie-Anne's territory has made him greedy for more."

Queen Arsinoe and king Joshua both hissed at the mention of Felipe's expansion of his territory into the injured Sophie Anne's. There were also hisses on the phones but Sookie was too preoccupied reading Arsinoe's and Joshua's minds to pin down which phones were listening and whose were hissing.

Sophie Anne and Arsinoe were elevated to royal status from the same retinue. Though few remember their connection because they've both ruled for so long. In the beginning they had been lovers, but in the last three decades they had settled into a great friendship.

Joshua too was a former lover of the late Sophie Anne but that's not where his attachment came from. Andre and Sophie Anne helped him escape a lynching in Salem. He had just made it off the boat. He was wild and starving. He had already devoured everyone onboard and when he pulled into the harbor he couldn't control himself.

He had been warned about traveling by boat, too many unknown variables, and an unknown variable is not the way of vampires. He didn't listen to his better judgment, or the advice of his nest-mates. He was full but still weak from going so long without blood. He staggered out of town to find shelter but was met by a mob, a child had ran back to town and told what was going on at the dock's. He killed many of them but was still overwhelmed because of their numbers.

Sophie and Andre were passing through a wooded area on the way back to their makeshift shelter when they heard the angry mob. They, being already so old and at full strength, made short work of it. He stayed and traveled with them for decades. No he was not only a former lover of Sophie-Anne's. He owed her his life…he owed her fealty.

"We have seen his plan. He will slowly and quietly begin taking states one by one. He will start with the weakest and work his way up. He will take out each and every regent, asserting himself in their place."

"And if this is true, you are not a king," Said a voice on one of the phones. "What does it matter to you if he kills every royal in America?" This confused Sookie, shouldn't he fear for his life right now? He shouldn't be saying _so what? What's it to you?_ But he answered her question before she could ask it of Eric. "What is your stake in all this?" The voice went on.

"He has resolved to kill Sookie and myself because he was told by a seer that he would one day bow down to us." Eric said, never needing to ask the question that bounced around Sookie's head. "He cannot kill us now, we are too powerful, but I think he will try to get to us through our friends and those who owe us fealty. That I cannot allow."

Sookie sent love and gratitude through their bond. She knew that when Felipe realized that he couldn't kill them he would go with the-_if at first you don't succeed then try, try again_-method. She had thought that they would spend the rest of their lives defending themselves against him (until Eric got tired and killed Felipe out of pure irritation that is); but she hadn't thought about those she loved around her. She loved that Eric did.

"And you want our help in defeating him." Another phone voice asked.

"It is not only our interests that are at stake." Eric said. He was fighting hard to control himself. Vampire's are naturally devious and suspicious creatures and it was hard for them to accept what another tells them, even if their first mind is telling them that it is the right thing. They keep angling trying to see the obvious trap. "And let me be plain with you all. If Felipe is left alone at some point we all will be vulnerable."

There was silence in the room and Eric's irritation was growing. "Look, this really isn't rocket science. Sookie and I don't need your help. We can definitely take care of Felipe on our own. It's not in _our _best interest to go on and wipe him from existence, but yours. The only question for us is _when_ to take care of it."

Sookie had no idea where this was coming from but she was glad that they seemed to be on the same page. It seemed ridiculous to her that you had to convince someone to save themselves.

"This can go one of two ways." Eric continued. "We go to war by ourselves; but then who knows how long it would be before we decided to take Felipe out. A month? A year? To be frank I would wait until he came knocking on every door step of all those who didn't back us."

There was a palpable silence.

"Oh that's right." Eric continued when no one spoke. "By the time he gets to you and your states, he will be unstoppable and he'll steamroll you, ever so easily. You can ask Sophie-Anne how well he treats those he's conquered."

That got a reaction. Those on the phone gasped. Sookie was rapt with such complete attention that she could separate the sound of each gasp from each of the phones.

Calvin, Sam, and Alcide all looked impressed; and genuinely seemed impressed that Eric would take on vampire royalty the way he did. Jason looked as if he couldn't decide what it was that he was feeling the most, impressed, scared, or confused. He couldn't really concentrate on any emotion; he was too distracted by the golden currents that had intensified around Eric's enclosure, which was still hugged so tightly to his body.

Sookie noticed that the vampires in attendance were not as weary about Eric's words, because they had already decided to throw their lot in with his, but more about his golden currents that seemed to intensify with his anger and began to spark a few inches away from his body.

She felt the need to speak when she saw in the back of their minds they still had a 'what if he lumped us all in together?' question persistently floating around.

"Of course all those who wish to join us will be protected. Their kingdoms will stay intact while the rest fall by the wayside." She was happy when she saw their allies mentally relax (they've been around too long to give any physical sign of stress...especially in front of others)

"She is correct." Eric said. "All those who stand with us will be protected. Though there would be no need for protection if we could all agree to come together now. Kill what threatens your kingdoms now, before the threat comes to knock on your front door. You all know Felipe, you know that there's nothing that will stop him when he's set his mind to a task, and I can assure you that this is the task that has been set." He paused to let it all sink in.

Sookie had learned from an early age that not everyone could be made to see reason. 'Willfully stupid' is what Gran used to call them and something told her that she would find one in their number to fulfill this role.

It came from the phone of King Jeffrey from Colorado.

"Is that your human speaking?" He asked even though he didn't wait for a response."Who does she think she is addressing us as such?" he demanded. "And you, implicating your own king to further your own ambition is not going to work Northman."

Eric growled at the implication but he knew that the king wasn't done speaking yet.

"I know when I am being taken in and I will not be taken by a sheriff who doesn't know the difference between feeding, fucking, and when to create an advantageous bond." Eric roared loudly at the phone in the shaking rep's hand. Even Sam and Calvin let growls escape from them. "Even if I were inclined to believe you Northman what makes you think that any vampire would follow a human? Any human? Even a telepath?"

Sookie wished that she could reach through the phone. She had never been one for violence just for the sake of violence, but at the moment she was all for violence for the sake of shutting this ignorant creature up. She could feel Eric's agreement rumble through their bond.

"No I will not place my kingdom on the line because of the word of a human and her love sick sheriff."

"They are something you have never imagined." Arsinoe spoke up. "You are free to be malicious in your words and ignorant of the picture that your messenger has sent to you, but you cannot see what we do. You have not seen what they can do."

"Indeed they are more than just a telepath and a sheriff." Stan added. "They are more than human and vampire. You know my character, you know that I am not easily taken in and I tell you that you are on the wrong side."

"They are the real deal." Joshua spoke up this time narrowly missing speaking over Stan. "I am not sure what they are but they are clearly more powerful than anything I've ever seen."

There was a moment of silence as Jeffrey thought about the words his co-regents spoke. "I would have never thought to call any of you fools." he said slowly...almost sadly. "But what am I to believe when you leave your kingdoms, your wealth, and your very lives in the hands of a sheriff and a telepath just because they can glow. Fairies can glow too, are we to follow them around now starting wars and becoming their lapdogs? No! Felipe has shown no aggression towards any of us and yet you are all willing to lose your kingdoms for the sake of a few parlor tricks. I will not stand with you."

"Then we have come to a parting of the ways." Eric said acidly. "If you don't want to fight by our sides, that is your choice; but I tell you this. If you join Felipe then you will share the same fate. You will not be spared."

"What, you dare to threaten the life of a king?" Jeffrey yelled. "You have overstepped your bounds Northman!"

Eric was calm. "You will not be spared." he repeated calmly.

Jeffrey began to sputter all manner of things through the phone. Sookie felt the rage wash over her, though she was surprised to find that it didn't overtake her. She really was able to withstand the strong currents of his powerful emotions. She was not sure what all the others saw though she did get several flashes of Eric's eyes briefly blazing. It was enough to scare Colorado's rep enough to drop the belligerent phone. That was a good thing too because in the next moment a bolt of golden lightning flew from his body and struck the falling phone before it had dropped three inches towards the floor.

Everyone stared at both of them in awe. She hadn't realized it but she was glowing brighter in response to Eric's rage. Every eye looked upon them with fear. It took Eric a moment to calm himself enough to speak to the others in the room.

"Leave." He first ordered King Jeffrey's rep. He hesitated for a moment thinking that after the display his king just made, that there was no way they would let him out alive, but he was even more scared to stay in the room with those who were now clearly were his enemies. He cleared the room with haste, though he was sad too because he really did believe in the obvious power that Sookie and Eric had, they had saved his life. He didn't know what or how to explain it to his king the right way to make him understand what he had witnessed. Maybe he just won't go back...

"If you are not with us, this is the time to say it." Eric said to the remaining group. "There will be no traitors." No one said anything, though they both picked up the shocked thoughts they were thinking.

Stan stood and his eyes were blazing murderously at the implication. "I assure you that I am no traitor." He said; his voice was freezing the words as they barely escaped his lips and they fell heavily upon everyone. "I will stand with you. I have no doubt that Felipe is capable of more than what you have said and my own intelligence has told me that he is up to something."

"I will stand with you too." Arsinoe said as she got to her feet. "If not for tonight, then to avenge my sister."

Joshua stood next. "As will I." He agreed.

"I've noticed that those who come against you little one never seem to come out on the winning side." Russell said as he stood. He smiled at Sookie like a grandfather that was indulging his favorite grandchild. She couldn't help but to return his smile. "I will stand with you also. I don't like having Felipe at my back door if there's anything I can do about it. Besides, going to war every so often is good for a vampire…it keeps the blood flowing" His eyes flashed for a moment and at that moment Sookie was sure that there was more to the king boy toy then she knew.

Abimelech just stood and nodded his agreement as did King Joseph and Queen Elizabeth.

Everyone stood in agreement and Sookie's heart grew. These weren't just powerful vampires; these were kings and queens with no reason to believe them, with no reason to follow them when they were so used to leading.

"I agree." King Darius of New Mexico said over the phone.

"As do I." King Giovanni of Kentucky agreed.

"And I." King Byron of Tennessee said.

"I am humbled by your faith." Eric said diplomatically. "This won't be easy, but together we will achieve our goal." Then he turned to the Were's. "Can we count on you? Felipe has a lot of the two natured under his control, some enslaved, and others' that were bought off. I don't know how many there are but it will suffice to say that whatever defense he will present, they will be a part of it."

They all nodded.

"If I know my king, he will try to lure us to him." Eric said. "It's what I would do. We are under his rule, if he summons us then we will have to appear. This will be his best chance to take us out. I'm not sure what form his attack will take but we will all have to be ready."

_'Oh shit!' _Sookie heard. She turned expectantly to the door just in time to see Pam appear frantically. She looked around at their royal company and dropped to her knee.

"Master." She said. "There's an urgent message that has been left on my phone. It cannot wait." She held her phone out to Eric.

'_Who is it from?'_ he asked her silently.

'_Felipe,'_ she answered. _'You have been summoned.'_

"Let it play Pam." Eric said to her. She dutifully dialed her mail box and then put it on speaker.

"This is Stephanie, personal secretary to King De Castro." A pleasant but generic voice said. "You, your Sheriff, Sookie Stackhouse, and Bill Compton are all summoned to appear before King De Castro immediately. You are to fly directly from Texas to Nevada. I have left the same message on all the others phones. Thank you." Pam hung up the phone after the message was done.

Eric found Sookie's eye. The girl he used to know would have looked at him with fear and dread but not this beautiful platinum creature. What he saw in her eyes was the same thing he felt through their bond, resignation, anticipation, and hope.

They could feel everyone's eyes on them but it didn't matter. They knew that this was going to happen and they were well prepared. They would just have to organize as best and as fast as they could and pray that it would be enough. They didn't turn from one another until they heard Arsinoe's voice float through the silent room.

"So," she said. "It has begun."

TBC

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A/N: No matter what I truly value your feedback, so please review and let me know what you think.


	16. Chapter 16

A/N: I just want to thank everyone for their support. I hope that you enjoy this chapter because it really did take a lot to be able to publish it. I won't go into details I will just say that its the second time I've had to write this same chapter. Anyway I am proud about how it turned out. Thanks again to everyone for your encouragement. Please enjoy.

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New Ch16

It was done. There was no turning back, not now. The traitorous words had already been spoken. The proverbial ball was already in motion. The plan had already been formed and put into action. Everyone knew what was expected and what actions they were responsible for. Everyone gladly took up the reigns for their cause. Four of them willingly and happily committed treason. It was done. The traitorous words had already been spoken. There was no turning back…not now.

Eric and Sookie took to the air when the war council, somehow the word _meeting_didn't begin to reflect what was shared within, broke up. Pam had asked if they would ride with them back to the hotel but Sookie wanted to really try flying, so Eric declined and just told them they would meet them back at the hotel. As soon as Pam and Bill turned to run to their car they took to the air.

Sookie loved it. The cool air on her face, the way the wind blew through her hair, and the complete feel of freedom. Eric was so impressed by her, where her lightening strikes hadn't been as spot-on as his, her flying was very good. He wondered if it was her or the fact that he was already a great flyer and she was just drawing on that. Either way he was proud and he decided that it didn't matter one way or the other. The fact was that she only needed the slightest corrections as they soared through the air lighting up the night sky.

They flew high over the city lights so that even if someone happened to be looking up they wouldn't be able to tell what they were. All anyone would see what two bright lights moving together overhead.

Eric let Sookie take the lead as he closed his eyes and just reveled in the sensations flying seemed to cause in his wife. His _wife._ There was no denying it. If it wasn't enough that they joined themselves together at Sookie's house, there was no denying that they were married by an angel in Heaven. She was his partner for eternity, no matter where they journeyed.

He slowly became aware that they were running out of lights below and he began to focus more on where they were.

"I believe that you have overshot us a bit lover." He said trying but failing to hide his smug smile.

"Darn," She said sarcastically snapping her free hand. "I knew I should have taken that left turn at Albuquerque."

Eric cracked up. "Someone needs to ease up on the Bugs Bunny cartoons."

She looked genuinely shocked. "You know Bugs Bunny?" she said half skeptically and half completely surprised.

He shrugged his shoulders trying to be nonchalant about it. "I'm not always working at Fangtasia." He pointed out. "Sometimes you get bored with nothing to amuse you but channel surfing.

Sookie laughed. "I never would have pegged you as the couch potato."

Eric smiled too despite himself. "Oh I'm sorry I meant that I was raiding a nearby town and I came across a McPeople meal that had the Cartoon Network on. I drained them while watching Bugs as he accidently found himself in a treasure cave when he was trying to go on vacation. Better?"

"Smart-ass." She muttered with her head turned away from him so that he couldn't see her smiling. He could feel it though.

She had long since thrown up a block so that he could plot and plan without her annoyance. She liked being connected with Eric but the lengths his mind went to so that he could plot and plan was irritating and a bit exhausting. She'd rather him just give her the gist of the plan later, after he's worked through every scenario.

Eric focused for a moment as they hung over nothing in the dark night sky. "The hotel is back this way." He pointed.

Sookie nodded but she didn't take off in the direction he indicated. She was too taken with the sight of Eric in the night sky. He was beautiful to start with but the golden glow of his skin and the glow of his enclosure was just overpowering. Eric looked back at her and then caught her feelings. In the next moment, he was right there with her and he pulled her close.

His mouth was gentle; he wanted to savor her. Every since they came back to earth, he had been trying to ignore her new powerful scent. She still smelled the same as always but the intensity of it was something completely different. It was concentrated more than a hundred times the usual strength and it took everything in him not to jump her in the middle of the battle…though that would have been interesting. No, because then he would have to kill everyone present-friend and foe alike.

He knew that her enclosure protected her scent from reaching the other supes there or it would have really turned into them against everyone; but it didn't work on him. They were bound, they were one and he could smell her just as keenly as he could smell everyone else there. He just hoped that it wouldn't be as potent when she wasn't powered up or she'd permanently have to stay that way just so that others could function around her.

He was tired of resisting the call of her scent and now with the call of her body it was more than he could stand. So he pulled her close and captured her lips with his. They were soft and he knew then that he wanted to have them all over his body. Their lips moved together in sync, doing a dance only they could follow. He wrapped his arms around her body loving the way she felt in his arms, if he had his way, this would be the only place she'd ever be.

Sookie reveled in Eric's touch. She loved how he could turn her on with a simple look or kiss or nothing at all. Just looking at him completely turned her on and all she'd be happy to spend the rest of forever in his arms, indulging in his love. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he tightened his hold around her waist. She could clearly feel his want and need pressed securely between their bodies.

She could feel Eric acutely, every stroke of his fingers or flick of his tongue or movement of his lips made its way through her whole body. Every movement and its result seemed to magnify and bombard them on all sides by their enclosure. Eric grabbed her ass and a moan escaped Sookie's mouth without her permission. He smiled against her lips.

She wasn't sure if it's always been this intense with him and she just didn't have the proper senses to enjoy it, or if it was monumental increase in the strength of their bond that now literally enclosed them or both but she was enjoying her husband's oral attentions very much, and the fact that he had curiously naughty hands seemed to add fuel to her fire. Her husband? Her husband! Her husband. _Her_ _husband._

The same realization that Eric already had moments before brought Sookie up short. She pulled away from Eric's searing kisses, even though it almost broke her to do it. She winced at Eric's pain even though it almost immediately moved into confusion. She still had her thoughts cut off from him so he wasn't sure what she was thinking, all he could feel was a confusing mix of surprise, pleasure, shock, more pleasure, disbelief, and (you guessed it) more pleasure. He wasn't sure of what to say so he waited for her to speak in her own time.

"We're bonded." She stated instead of asking. In herself analysis she let her block fall and he could see that she was just trying to wrap her mind around all that had happened to them in the few weeks that he reappeared at her door.

His body was longing for her so much that it was almost painful. Sookie almost dismissed the workings of her thoughts so that she could ease Eric's discomfort he was experiencing so that he could give her time to work through her revelations. Besides, he knew that there was nothing wrong and if she needed a little time he could give her that…very little. She smiled at the assurances he made to himself so that she could continue, but she didn't further acknowledge them, she had to get through this.

"We've been married twice?" This time she asked because she wasn't sure that the bonding actually counted as a wedding, there was still much she didn't know about the vampire world. Even though their minds were connected it wasn't like she could read the history of his mind, just whatever thoughts came through like all the other minds.

He didn't comment he just nodded. Though technically it was three since their first bond took place in Rhodes, it wasn't under the most ideal circumstances so he would be happy to leave that one uncounted…for her.

"We were married in Heaven, by Gabriel." This time her voice was full of wonder.

He was unsure of how she wanted him to respond. Her mind was a mess, not in a bad way, just that it was going a mile a minute in every direction and down multiple paths. He suddenly understood how she could get headache just by being in proximity to some minds. He nodded again this time with a bemused smile.

"You are my husband." She said solemnly. She rolled it around on her tongue finding that she actually loved how it tasted there. "You are my husband Eric Northman." She said again loving it more and more every second.

"And you are my wife Sookie Stackhouse." She quirked her head to the side at his sentence and smiled.

"That sounds odd." She mused. "To be married but not have the same last name; but technically, we aren't legally married. But we are in the way of faith. It's just odd. It will take some getting used to." She shut her mouth because she was letting her mental ramblings get the best of her.

"That's all easily rectified lover." He said. "You could change your name when we get back, and we could get a marriage license. We could even glamour the city workers so that we can have the dates match up perfectly. You will have access to all that I have."

She thought about it for a moment because that's all it took. Even as he spoke the words she knew that she didn't need nor want any of that…well almost none of it.

"You could always change your name to Stackhouse you know." She pointed out teasingly.

"Hmm, Eric Stackhouse." He said playing along. "As much as I love the ring of that I'm afraid that I will have to kill too many to get the fear of me instilled in them again, and then I would have to kill many more to gain their respect again. It might set us back on our main mission." He said pretending to be thoughtful about it.

"Uh, I guess that you're right." She conceded. "Besides, I love the way my name sounds in front of yours way more then I like the way yours sounds in front of mine.

"I think that I will look into getting a name change when we get back. I don't need the rest. I certainly don't need to have access to the comings and goings of your money. I don't need that, and I really don't care to tell you the truth. How you make your money is your business as long as I am still free to make my own."

"Sookie," Eric started, blocking his thoughts from her so that he could ease her back into reality and not scare her. "When we come out of this, we will be king and queen of possibly three states. It won't be possible for you to have a job, not in the sense that you mean it."

Sookie regarded him slowly, noting the block of his mind. True she could knock it down but she would never invade his privacy like that. "So I'm supposed to what, live off you, and follow you around as you work the ins and outs of the supe world?" She tugged on his hand and they descended closer to the ground but not actually landing.

Now he may not be the smartest being on the earth, but he was very intelligent and more importantly he knew a trap when he saw one. "No lover, you can do whatever you want to do. You will be queen; I'm just saying that the type of jobs you're thinking about-like working at Merlottes- wouldn't be possible for someone of your status. I would never suggest that you don't work but you should know that it would be more as projects you care about. I know you don't really like politics but it's going to be up to you to use your new power and position to help those you care about. Bridging the gaps between the races, helping gifted children through school, or anything else that you think would help. I know that you will be working very hard, just not in the capacity you may have hoped for."

She closed her mind off so that she could think in peace since he'd opened his back up after laying that whopper on her. In truth, she knew that she couldn't be queen and still serving burgers anymore. She would have to be protected…as if she needed it. She would have to be in a position of respect…as if she cared what anyone but Eric thought about her. It may make it harder on Eric taking up the aspects of the job they would inherit because they both knew she didn't want any part of it…even now. That was the kicker. She never wanted to do anything to cause Eric hurt or embarrassment. Not that she would ever tell him, she would really have a hard time not going after anyone who didn't treat him with the respect he deserved.

"You know I absolutely hate it when you are right." She said quite annoyed.

"That was before I became your husband." He said with a huge grin that could melt anything.

"Husband…" Sookie murmured as she reached up and stroked his cheek.

She began to study his face very closely. She felt like she was seeing it for the very first time, and that it would be the last time she would see him with such clarity. She ran both her hands through his hair letting them come to rest on his neck. It was such a loving gesture and the energy around them crackled echoing the sentiment. Eric closed his eyes so that he could just enjoy the sensation. She used both of her hands to explore Eric's face.

Eric closed his eyes so that he could feel the way her touch crackled over his body. Is this what she was talking about when she said his blood crackled in her veins? If it was he liked it very much.

He reached out to her waist and pulled her closer to his body. She let him for a moment but then she pulled back. He raised one of his perfect eyebrows.

"Please my husband." Was all she said, and he closed his eyes again and prayed that he had enough strength to let her do…well, whatever this was; but it wasn't looking good for the home team. He felt her amusement through the bond at his thoughts. He reached out to her with his mind and found that she had dropped her shields again. She just wanted to explore him, especially now that he was her husband. She really needed to explore him, she had never got the chance to actually just feel, caress, explore him before…

She pulled his head down closer to hers and kissed his forehead, each of his eyelids, each cheek before finally kissing his lips. She loved the texture of his skin and his kiss was an open flame. She quickly forgot about the rest of her exploration because she was overcome with an overwhelming desire to consume him. She wanted to taste his blood. She wanted to devour every part of him.

He finally broke their searing kiss before he lost complete control. He knew that she really wanted finish this and he was getting mighty close to the end of his rope. He smiled ruefully at her. "I think you've been around vampire's too long lover. Your desire to drink is almost as powerful as ours."

She smiled back at him, completely intoxicated by his very scent. Surely he's never smelled this good before? "It's not everyone, it's you. I want to taste every part of you." She moaned. "I want to consume every part of you-mind, body, and blood. I want to wrap myself in you."

Her desire almost knocked Eric for a loop. He wanted to give in to her, let her consume him because-if truth be told-he wanted to consume her too. He was glad that it wasn't only him that was being driven crazy by the mere closeness and scent of the other.

"In due time Sookie. I promise, in due time." He murmured to her. If she wasn't already wet at the mere thought of him standing before her, she was now. She felt a rush of calm surge through the bond and her mind cleared for a moment.

Eric saw the glaze move from her eyes and knew she was back to herself. She resumed moving her hands further down to his neck. She loved how even his every muscle seemed to react to her touch. His face was still bent forward so it was easy for her to inhale him deeply and then begin to place small reverent kisses around his neck drawing a low moan from the back of his throat.

Her hands moved down to the collar of his tunic and it was then that she decided that there were way too many clothes between them. She gently pushed on his shoulders and he obeyed his wish for him to stand up straight. She let her hands fall lightly over his tunic; it was the softest thing that she'd ever touched next to his skin. She pulled it over his head, rising a little bit so that she could pull it off in one complete motion. Then she lowered herself and began to trace the smooth plains of Eric's chest.

He shuddered lightly at her touch, but he was still resolved to hold still. He, who has always been so disciplined, found it hard to _not_ respond to her touch as she placed small kisses on him. He jerked when she kissed one nipple and then bit down because she knew that's what he liked. She didn't bite down hard enough to draw his blood, just enough to drive him insane. She repeated this with his other nipple before moving lower to his abs.

She traced the outline of his muscles, placing small kisses and licks at the juncture of each. She licked his bellybutton and then blew her warm breath on his cool wet skin; and was rewarded when another shudder rocketed through is body followed by a hungry growl. He tasted simply wonderful to her. She liked that she found a freckle just above the waistband of his leather pants and she kissed it lovingly.

She looked at the belt she hadn't noticed before. It was so Eric. It was a large yet intricately designed Viking war ship. She could see that it was done with extreme care and detail. Normally she would want to examine it more carefully but right now she had better things on her mind. She moved the buckle around this way and that to try to find a clasp-any clasp-to undo it so that she could complete her examination. She saw in her peripheral vision the muscle in Eric's abdomen expand and contract. She could feel his amusement at her focus on his belt. He was surprised that she just didn't rip it off. She probably would have but she didn't want to damage such a beautiful piece. He finally took mercy on her and undid the belt buckle for her.

She rose to her full height and she moved around his body. She floated a little higher when she brushed his flowing golden locks to the side so that she could kiss the back of his neck.

"Sookie…" He hissed. She smirked, and then placed several more kisses around the back of his neck. She turned her head to the side and licked the back of his ear and then she slid her tongue into his ear, eliciting a pained moan from him. She knew she would have to hurry up now. It was taking him all of his strength and self discipline to refrain from grabbing her roughly and sexing her down Viking style…

Sookie followed his backbone down, placing small kisses on his vertebra as her hands felt the distinctive patterns created by his shoulders. They were broad and heavily muscled; everything about them screamed power. Even though he was battling himself for control she could see how his posture was proud with his head held defiantly high and his shoulders held proudly back. Everything about his stance screamed confidence and power and leader. It impressed her more that this wasn't him being pompous, his stance was unconscious-this was just who he was.

She kept exploring his remarkable body, feeling out the topography of his middle and lower back until once again she hit the line drawn by his pants. She rose again so that their feet were level in the air, she wanted to be her normal height, and she wrapped her arms around his stomach. Crushing herself into his back, she couldn't imagine anyone she would rather be bound to. This extraordinary man was hers…and more importantly she was his too.

He rested his hands over hers and basked in her love and happiness that bounced around their enclosures. It soothed his struggle with himself to feel the magnitude of her love for him.

He let her hands slowly drop to his waistband and found the Viking ship buckle and pulled it slowly through all the loops before tossing it over to where his tunic lay forgotten. Sookie undid his leather pants and began to push them down his leg. Eric was going commando.

Sookie laughed. No matter where or who dressed him, Eric would always be himself, and it was so Eric to be going commando even when he was dressed in Heaven. Eric felt Sookie's amusement and joined in her laughter as he kicked his boots off in the same direction of his tunic and belt so that it would be easier for her to take his pants off.

As his world class ass came into view Sookie let his pants fall the rest of the way to his ankles where he kicked them in the direction of his other clothes. She was too enamored with her favorite feature to finish her careful disrobing of her new husband. She lightly trailed her hands over his magnificent asset. She kissed the small of his back and then, just because she couldn't resist, she bit him on his right cheek. Moaning as his blood trickled into her mouth; she hadn't bit enough to start a full flow she just wanted a taste. And what a taste it was. It sent her mind spinning as she tried to narrow down what Eric tasted like.

She enjoyed the harsh growl Eric gave as his will finally crumbled and his carnal lust overtook him. He reached back and grabbed her wrist and pulled her in front of him. In the moment it took him to crush her body to his she took in his entire being…he truly looked like sex waiting to happen.

Eric's mouth moved earnestly over hers. Their tongues danced together intricately yet flawlessly. Sookie moaned with pleasure in his mouth, feeding his already out of control desire. She was still dressed and he was completely naked, but that was a situation that's easily rectifiable.

He ripped her shirt away and then her bra. Without breaking his kiss he reached between them and gently stroked her nipple, happy to find that it immediately responded to him turning hard just for his pleasure. He then reached down, snagging her red leather pants and ripped them away too, throwing them to the side. He then leaned her back so that they were level with the ground though they weren't actually lying on the ground. He kissed her down her jaw gently nipping right behind her ear, eliciting the most luscious purr from Sookie's sweet lips.

Sookie's scent has been haunting him since their return to the earth. It was so powerful and sweet and only the threat of battle made him able to concentrate. Her enclosure prohibited her new scent from spreading to the other supes but it did nothing from him. Part of him basked in it; the other part hoped that it wasn't this strong when she powered down. More than anything he wanted to taste her concentrated essence.

Sookie wrapped her fingers in Eric's hair pulling his lips closer as they enveloped her taut nipple, his fingers mimicked his mouth on her other nipple.

"Ahh yes Eric." She moaned as she arched her back pushing her breast further into his mouth.

Eric could resist no longer. He traced his tongue around her areola and then bit down on her nipple. Her blood filled his mouth in a great gush and all reason left Eric. He drank deeply from Sookie, she tasted of love and sunshine and warmth and beauty and strength and she burned and soothed. Her blood overtook his mind and he was lost in the drinking of her essence. She was more than any creature he had ever heard of, fairy, were, vampire, demon it didn't matter.

Sookie knew all reason had left Eric and she knew she should be scared witless. She should disengage from him, close herself off, preserve her life in some form or fashion but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She pulled herself closer to his body as she felt her body begin to tremble underneath him. She ran a hand through his hair.

"I love you my husband." She murmured.

The shock of those five little words jolted Eric back to reality. It took all his strength to jerk his head back from Sookie's body. He didn't need to breathe but he allowed himself to pant, it seemed to help him keep control of himself as he came back to his mind.

"Sookie," he said worried. "Are you okay?"

Sookie was lightheaded and she didn't trust her voice.

_'I'm fine Eric.'_ She thought to him. Her body was still trembling so close to a release that she was unable to achieve before Eric stopped drinking from her.

"No you're not!" He cradled her in his arms "I drank too much from you. Why didn't you stop me? Why didn't you close yourself off to me when you saw that I wasn't in control? I could have killed you!"

_'Didn't want to.'_ She thought slowly, making sure that her words were coherent…a fact not missed by Eric. _'You felt so good.'_

"You stupid girl," Eric said incredulous. "You must have a death with."

_'Not really,'_ she countered. _'I just love being with you. I love the way it feels when you're inside me.'_

He laughed despite himself. "Yes, you definitely have a death wish."

Sookie closed her eyes and was glad that he coddled her because she didn't feel as if she had the strength to hold her head up.

Eric shifted her body around so that her chest was pressed against his and tilted his head to the side. "Drink from me lover. It will help you regain your strength." He held her head up to his neck. At first he thought that she was too weak to bite, but then she bit down hard on his neck and drew his blood.

He grunted as her teeth broke through his skin. He kept one arm firmly wrapped around her back and let the other stroke her hair.

Eric's blood was unreal. It crashed in and over Sookie wanting to pull her in a thousand different directions. If his blood sparkled and popped before it positively exploded in her now like a thousand M64 firecrackers. It tasted of life and fire and desire and love and adventure and time and passion and vibrancy and lust. It was past vivacity and vitality, more than just a joie de vivre. His blood tasted like coming home after a long absence. His blood was like the lightning that surrounded them. It was both life sustaining and life consuming.

Sookie drew as hard as she could on the wound on Eric's neck. She wanted to bathe herself in his blood. Eric moaned loudly and tightened his grip on her. He could feel that she was drawing from him with the same abandon that he had for her. He loved that though he knew that it was soon time for him to break from her but it felt so good to feel her drawing life from him.

He couldn't bear the thought of pushing her away so he settled for his body's natural reaction. He hiked her leg up to his hip and plunged into her with abandon. Sookie cried out at his sudden entrance, effectively releasing her hold on his neck. Eric crushed his lips to hers; thrusting his tongue into her mouth as it mimicked his thrusts into her hot core. He was driving her insane.

She finally had to break his intense kiss so that she could breathe, though he made it hard on her because every time she inhaled he would hit that secret spot sending all of her breath out of her lungs in a loud cry. She hitched her other leg on his hip also and began grinding her hips into him, meeting his every thrust. Pleasure crashed all around them magnified by their enclosures.

Sookie threw her head back yelling Eric's name, begging him not to stop. She could barely see through their enclosures, even with her improved sight. The lightning surged around them crashing into each other and multiplying. From what she could see was that they were spinning in the air. Their bodies twined together and locked in lust, fueled by love.

They pushed each other higher and higher until Sookie began a chant of "oh yes Eric, like that, yes Eric yes, pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!"

Eric could feel that she was close as he felt her body begin to shudder around his length. This drove Eric to strengthen his efforts. He twisted her waist just so, so that he would be able to hit that sweet spot upon every thrust.

Sookie could hardly believe the sensations that Eric was eliciting within her body. She began Eric's favorite opera, unable to stop once she had started. Eric was reaching his end but refused to let go until she released for him.

He ground his hips more firmly into her, bucking at the end of every thrust. "Come for me my wife." He growled in her ear. That was all it took. Sookie's body gave a violent shudder as a massive orgasm rocketed through her entire being. Eric kept thrusting directly into her sweet spot extending and intensifying her orgasm.

Their enclosures exploded around them sending bolts of gold and silver lightning everywhere. The earth began to tremble ominously below them and then shook violently. The vibrations crashed into them. Eric's body jolted as he finally allowed his orgasm to crash over him. He roared out harshly with Sookie's name on his tongue. The earth gave an earsplitting groan as a chasm opened up beneath them. Dust began to fill the air as the earth gave way to them, opening up beneath them as a mother would open her arms to her children.

Aftershocks rocketed through them almost as strong as the orgasm itself. Every time one rocketed through one it would set off one within the other and the earth would groan below them opening up further.

They clung to each other as their bodies came back to themselves. Slowly their enclosures returned back to their normal sizes as the earth quieted her moans and then it too was still.

"Eric," Sookie said still a little breathlessly. "That was…that was…" She stopped, unable to find a word quite right enough to fit.

"I know Sookie. Spectacularly amazing doesn't even seem to give it justice." He replied as he hugged Sookie to his side.

Sookie looked below and gaped at the massive void below them. "Oh my goodness Eric, look at what we've done!"

Eric followed her line of sight and even he was in awe. Over the last thousand years he had seen his fair share of destruction-and caused quite a bit of it too-but the size of the abyss below amazed him. He had never seen such a thing created by only two people. Sookie wasn't all that great on mental measuring but it only took him a moment to gauge the gorge below them fifty-three feet deep and thirty-two and a quarter yards wide. There were four long fissures running through each end of the sides but he would have to investigate how long they ran. They marked the epicenter.

"I think that we have outdone ourselves lover." Eric said with a smug smile spreading across his face. "My house has nothing on this."

"That's not funny!" Sookie snapped completely horrified. "We're walking natural disasters."

"I don't think so." Eric countered. "I think it's a fitting consummation; a mark upon the earth that we were joined."

"Ugh, nothing embarrasses you." Sookie complained.

"Why should I be embarrassed? I love you and you are my wife. I will never be embarrassed about anything we do or the results that comes after."

"Yes, I can understand that but WE CREATED A CRATER IN THE EARTH!"

"Yes we did my lover," Eric said with a satisfied grin. "The first of many I'm sure."

"Then I guess we should get earthquake insurance." Sookie deadpanned in defeat. She didn't need to be in his head to see that Eric was already planning the next crater.

"We should get back." Sookie finally said just to distract him from his current thoughts of doubling their current crater to twice its size.

Sookie began to glide in the general direction of where she thought Eric threw her clothes.

"Sookie they're this way and you're going to have to wear my shirt. Your clothes are in shreds." Eric said as he went to pick up a red scrap that was partially buried. Though when he picked it up it turned out to be her shirt…whole.

"How is that possible?" Sookie asked. She remembered the fabric tearing around her body as Eric ripped it from her. Now her shirt looked as if it had never met violence.

"I'm not sure but I don't think you ought to look a gift horse in the mouth." Eric said with a small smirk, he still had an infatuation with quirky human sayings. "We can always ask Michael about it later." He tossed her the shear red tunic and then her bra and leather pants. He was glad that she kept on her spike heeled boots; he was going to have to have her keep those on for him again another time.

"Uh Eric?" Sookie said. "What happened to my thong?"

"You don't really need those back right now do you?" He asked hopefully. He intentionally didn't throw them to her, in truth; he didn't even remember removing them from her.

"Eric Northman, you give me my underwear this instant." She commanded. Her silver eyes flashed momentarily. He sighed, and then tossed them to her as he got his own picked up his own clothing. He definitely knew that face.

They dressed quickly and then took off towards the city. They could see smoke billowing in the distance. They had been closer to the city than Sookie originally thought so it wasn't very far for them to go. Below there were people running in every direction, some buildings were on fire and some of the streets had deep gashes or sunken in places. It was complete pandemonium below. The earth had opened up and swallowed cars. Some buildings were completely demolished; others looked like they would need to be. There were sirens and cries and the crashing of buildings coming from every direction.

'_Oh no, not something else.'_Sookie couldn't help but groan inside her head. _'Not tonight, I just want to spend the rest of the night with you; and relax that's it.'_

'_Come on lover.'_ Eric said pulling her in the direction of the hotel. _'Let's go back and see if Pam and Bill are okay.'_He really didn't care if Bill was okay or not but he just added him as an afterthought to soothe Sookie. How she could still care about the well being of a guy that had treated her so badly he would never know.

Eric made sure that they stayed extremely high in the air as they flew as a precaution. For all the craziness below they could have flown two feet off the ground and people wouldn't have cared.

The closer they got to the hotel, the less the damage seemed to be. It became less fires and grooves in the ground and more, fallen branches, fallen power lines, broken windows, though every now and again there was a small fire or a sunken in spot in the ground; but there were no cars that had fallen into the ground or as many falling buildings.

They landed in the alley behind their hotel. It was completely vacant. They knew that they couldn't go inside fully powered so they focused on one another and forced themselves to power down. It was a lot like when they tried to push their energies into the bond before the banquet, only this time they had a better grasp on it. The energy still wanted to flow instead of being contained, but they were stronger and they easily shut it away in the bond.

The normal highlights returned to Eric hair. Sookie's hair and eyes turned back to normal…well almost. Eric stroked Sookie's hair; it now matched his perfectly. The delicate point was gone from her ears erasing the physical sign of her fairy heritage.

Their eyes had turned to the same exact shade of crystal blue only Eric's contained subtle flecks of gold while Sookie's contained subtle flecks of platinum silver. There were no streaks in their hair or any other sign of the power that they held within.

"You are breathtaking lover." Eric said as he noticed the silent silver flecks in her sparkling blue eyes.

She smiled and projected a picture of his eyes back to him. "I could say the same about you Northman."

Lord he loved the way her lips curled around his name. He inhaled her scent deeply and was pleased and saddened to find that it had toned down now that she wasn't powered up. Her scent was as about as powerful as a normal fairy now though it was still distinctly her and unlike any other scent he has ever smelled before.

They were once again dressed in their banquet clothes, and besides Sookie's hair being down, they looked as if they had had them on the whole time.

They walked around to the front of the building and into the lobby. There was no one in site but there was a lot of movement in the room behind the front desk.

_Is everyone okay? _

_Has everyone checked in?_

_Where are Adam and Korrynn?_

_I talked to them; they went to inspect the floors._

_We should start checking on the guests to make sure that everyone is okay and accounted for._

_We've already started that._

Eric and Sookie regarded each other for a moment but kept walking to the elevators. All the decorations had been knocked off the walls and some of the vases seemed to have broken but other than that they lobby seemed untouched.

They got onto the elevator and rode up to their floor. They could feel Pam and hear Bill's minds both in their room. They went to meet them with haste since they both seemed worried.

Pam opened the door right as they reached it and launched herself at Eric.

"Eric," she exclaimed in relief. "You are okay!" She hugged him as tight as her body would allow. She was trying to prove to herself that he was really there and that she could really touch him.

He carried Pam back into their sitting room and Sookie followed smiling fondly at them, father and daughter. Bill seemed to visibly relax when he saw Sookie, but his body was still tight with tension because all he wanted to do was to throw his arms around her. She had come back from the dead after all.

'_Go ahead.'_ Eric said. _'I think that it is acceptable under the conditions.'_

Sookie beamed at him though she knew he could only see it in his mind because his face was snuggled deep in Pam's flowing hair. Sookie walked over to Bill and threw her arms around his waist and squeezed. He stiffened for a moment, unsure of what to do, but then he folded his arms around her and laid his head on hers.

"I am so glad that you are okay Sookie." He whispered in her hair as he began to stroke it. "I really thought that you were gone. It was unbearable."

Sookie saw what they had become, Sam, Bill, and Pam, when she and Eric were speared and then disappeared. They were horrible and inhuman. There was not a trace of the people that Sookie had came to know and love left in any of them. They became a three pronged killing machine.

Tears sprang to her eyes as she watched how their deaths had in fact killed more than just them; it had killed their closest friends too. She began to blink so that the tears wouldn't overflow when she saw a sharp turn in Bill's thoughts.

They went from grief to relief to hunger. It was pure unadulterated hunger where he wanted to bite and drain Sookie and then Eric and then Pam and then any other soul that he could find and it didn't matter if they were alive or undead. She pushed back from him, easily breaking his tightened grip on her.

Sookie stepped back in the direction of Eric and Pam when Eric felt Pam stiffen in his arms. The shock of seeing and holding him again had worn off and she registered his new, more powerful scent. She was so close to his jugular and all she wanted to do was bite and drain her friend, mentor and sire.

Eric pushed her back and she crashed into Bill who was stalking Sookie's every step. Flying into one another didn't break either ones concentration as both crouched and prepared to attack the very ones that they love the very most.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear in any of the Charlaine Harris books, all the rest are mine.

A/N: I would just like to once again thank all my supportive fans out there for your encouragement. I have a loose outline for this story, each chapter I write on the spur of the moment and I never really know where its going to take me. This chapter took me in a direction I didn't realize but it seems as if it will stretch my story just a little because apparently there's somethings that my characters need to get out before they can proceed to where I want them. What I'm trying to say, in my usual long winded way, is that this journey was just as new to me as it is for you. I am just really glad that we can enjoy it together.

Thanks again to everyone, and sorry for it taking so long for me to update. Anyway, please enjoy and please remember to review (the really do help the writing proccess).

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ATL CH17

Life is nothing but a series of moments. Some are good, some are bad, but what they all have in common is that they lead you to a series of decisions that not only affect you but all those around you. They could kill Pam and Bill, but then he would lose his child and Sookie would lose two friends. Letting Pam and Bill feed off of them was not even an option, not even a choice. They had already been warned against it and they would heed that warning. So in this moment, to kill or not to kill, that is the question.

Sookie took one more step back as she felt Eric shift into a crouch. She realized a moment later that she had already mimicked his stance, though she didn't remember making a conscious decision to do so. She could see that Pam and Bill were beyond reason, their minds have been seized by an unshakable desire to drain them and then any other creature that came across their path. If they were this crazed just by their close proximity she didn't even want to know what it would be like if they had actually tasted her or Eric's blood.

They may not be Eric but both Pam and Bill were wonderful fighters, both strong in their own rights, with their own strengths and weaknesses. Sookie had gotten to know what they are when they volunteered to help train her. She could easily take them both out but they were Pam and Bill. She didn't want to hurt them, she loved them.

_'What do we do?'_ she asked Eric anxiously.

_'If we can't snap them out of this, we may have to kill them.'_ He replied. "Pam, Bill stop this right now!" he commanded them aloud.

But it was no use, they were too far gone. Their minds and reverted from intelligent thought to single minded desire so bad it was causing them physical pain. At this moment they had no Sheriff that they had to obey, they had no king and they had no sire. She suspected that this was what their minds were like when they thought she and Eric was dead. Only then their minds had been bent on chaos, pain and an insatiable need for destruction.

Instinctively Sookie reached towards the bond. She didn't rip it open because she knew that if they attacked her in her fully powered state they would die as soon as they came into contact with her silver enclosure. She would have to fight without it. Maybe they would be able to knock them out or something, they needed to be able to buy some time to figure out what to do.

Eric arm snaked around her waist and pulled her behind him.

_'What are you doing Eric?'_ she questioned. _'I can help you.'_ She was a little irritated that he still seemed to feel that same need to protect her all the time, but at the same time it made her feel happy that no matter what he still seemed to see her as the same person she always was. Right now, however, her irritation was winning the battle.

_'I know that Sookie.'_ He said as he moved his body in front of hers, blocking her from view. _'But we need silver to bind them and I have some hand cuffs in my bag.'_

_'Handcuffs?' _Sookie asked wryly as she darted into the bedroom and headed straight for the closet that held Eric's suitcase.

_'It was just a precaution before but now we can put them to good use lover.'_ He mentally leered at her.

She laughed as she dug through his suitcase looking for the false bottom that she saw in his head. She saw the hidden latch and it opened with a little click and she saw that the small compartment was lined with lead to keep it from weakening Eric when he held it by proximity. There were not only silver handcuffs but a silver net that was neatly folded and a long thin silver chain that looked like one of those necklaces that was just meant to wrap around your neck a couple times and then hang. There were even some silver throwing stars.

Sookie quickly grabbed the two pairs of handcuffs and the long this chain necklace and she headed back to the sitting room just in time to see Pam and Bill lung at Eric. It seemed like Pam was going high and Bill was going low. Sookie threw the chain around her neck and launched herself at Bill, knocking him back onto the ground and pinning him there in front of the couch. She pinned his arms with her knees and wrapped her free hand around his throat. He thrashed beneath her growling harshly but she held him fast. She dropped the handcuffs and reached over to the couch pulling off the pillow. She bit down on it and pulled it with her free hand effectively ripping it open. She tore a strip out of it and wrapped it around one of Bill's thrashing wrists. Once it was there she clicked the handcuff in to place over it so that it wouldn't burn him.

Bill thrashed harder under her but Sookie could already feel his strength leaving him. She repeated her actions, spitting out a mouth full of fuzz from inside the pillow. Bill barely moved under her, though he was still growling. She could tell that he was still out of his mind.

Eric caught Pam by the throat as she dove towards him. "Stop this now Pamela," he commanded her as her sire. She was still past reason but he knew that she would feel it later. "I don't want to hurt you but I will."

Pam swung and kicked at Eric, who dropped her in order to block her attacks. Eric growled harshly as he threw a punch that knocked Pam flat on her back, but as soon as she touched the ground she launched herself at him again. Her punches were fast and furious as she put together tremendous combinations that Eric had taught her years upon years ago. She kicked and punched at him with lightening speeds, and if she weren't trying to drain him, Eric would be proud at how remarkable she maintained all the fighting skills that he taught her. He was amazed by his child. She was clearly not in her right mind, he could see the madness in her eyes, but her instincts were so distinctly his and he was proud that she hadn't let herself become soft with the revelation like a lot of vampires he knew.

He was proud to see how fast Sookie had subdued Bill. She was placing the handcuffs on him already, and was even able to wrap his wrists so that they wouldn't burn under the silver of the handcuffs. Personally he thought that she could have drug it out more, honestly when was she going to get another "Beat The Hell Out Of Bill" card? True she could always do it any time she felt like it but he felt it was just something one should never pass up on. He smiled as she mentally rolled her eyes at him.

Pam, thinking that he was antagonizing her, abruptly changed her fighting style to something unfamiliar. She almost landed a round house kick to Eric's jaw, but no matter what her style, she was still way slower than Eric. Where she thought that she was moving like the air, to him she was moving like she was bogged down by water. Eric thought that he would burst in pride as his child tried to adapt in order to gain the upper hand to him. He could see in his mind that Sookie was just sitting on Bill's chest, who was just still trying to fight (pitifully), and was just watching him and Pam go at it. She had the chain unwrapped from around her neck and laid it over his ankles so that he was forced to stop thrashing his legs.

'_Must you sit on him?'_ he asked a little irritated and a little amused.

'_Well he has to be good for something, and right now he's making a pretty good chair.'_Sookie replied with an angelic smile.

'_You're going to pay for that later lover.'_ He warned.

Sookie's smiled even bigger grinding her ass on Bill's chest (who did a strange growl groan combination like he couldn't decide what he wanted to do). _'Promise?'_

Eric punched Pam harder than he meant to, shattering her jaw. The force of his punch lifted her from the ground…straight at Sookie.

"Shit!" Eric snarled as she twisted her body midair. Pam was on a collision course with Sookie. Now she wasn't only crazed to have their blood, because of Eric shattering her jaw, she needed blood to help heal her wounds.

Instinctively Sookie reached for her bond and she felt her power and energy flood through her body. It surrounded her and she instantly felt Bill still beneath her. Pam was about a foot and a half away from her when her eyes cleared and recognition sparked within them. But in the next moment Eric was there, and with a back hand to her ribcage, Pam was knocked through the sitting room wall over the couch, and through the bathroom door and what was left of the wall. She crashed into the sink and mirror with a sickening thud, and then she landed on the floor in a heap.

Eric was barely able to keep control of his temper. He was shaking as the energy poured through his body. He was trying to keep control because at this point it would explode from him and kill Bill, Pam, and whoever else happened to be in the vicinity. Sookie reached out for his hand and pushed calm through the bond.

Pam wasn't moving and Bill was still lying still on the floor, though now his eyes held a flicker of recognition.

"Sookie." He rasped barely audible. In his mind he longed to reach out to her, though he clearly wasn't able to.

Sookie turned back to Eric as the calmed each other down and then they both turned back to Bill. Sookie was about to remove the handcuffs when Eric grabbed her shoulder to stop her.

"No," he said. "Look." Sookie looked back into Bill's eyes and once again they showed insanity, want, and need.

Sookie stood back up as she studied his face. She listened to his mind and once again it was a snarl of a hundred different things, none of which included anything but draining them and everyone else on the planet. It was all need, blood, kill, kill, kill!

She could see the wheels turning in Eric's head as he studied the insanity on Bill's face. He was replaying the last two minutes in his head from his point of view and then from Sookie's. He saw how Sookie opened the bond enough to flood and surround her body with her energy to the point right before she was fully powered. He saw how Bill had stilled and as soon as Pam was in range her eyes cleared.

So he reached for the bond and repeated her motions. He let his energy flood through him and surround him. He pushed the energy away from his body. As soon as it touched Bill, his eyes cleared and his mind calmed.

"Bill?" Sookie asked; just to make sure.

"Sookie…" he replied.

"Un-cuff him Sookie." Eric said as they heard Pam moan from the bathroom. Sookie let her energy flood through and around her before she complied…she didn't want to take any chances.

Eric walked away from them and into the bathroom where Pam lay. He picked her up and brought her into the sitting room then laid her on the couch as she continued to stir. Sookie picked up an overturned arm chair and then helped Bill into it.

"Oh God Sookie," Bill began when he took in the scene before him.

The suite was completely trashed. Pam was now sitting up on the couch and taking in everything. Eric stood in front of them where the other arm chair was supposed to be, while Sookie was once again wrapping the long thin silver chain around her neck. They both continued to flood the room with their energies.

"I'm so sorry!" Bill said. "I don't know what came over me…over us."

Eric held his hand up to silence him. "Don't worry Bill; you get a free pass this time."

"Master, I-" Pam started before Eric cut her off.

"I said don't worry about it. It wasn't your fault. You couldn't help yourself."

"Well Master, I always knew you were irresistible but this is ridiculous." Pam said through her teeth as she eyed him and Sookie. She was testing the water trying to gage exactly how mad they really were. If she needed to watch her back she needed to know.

Sookie burst into a fit of giggles and by the look on Pam and Bill's face you would have thought that she had turned into a little green alien. "Sorry," She said as she gasped for breaths. "It really wasn't your fault Pam, there's no need to watch your back."

Pam's eyes grew big at the realization that Sookie could hear all her thoughts, and not just the ones that were directed towards her.

Sookie smiled angelically at her and Pam took it as a confirmation. "Really Pam, it was the reaction to our blood. You two couldn't help yourselves."

"How do you mean?" Bill asked.

"Our blood is intoxicating." Eric said. "You couldn't help but try to drain us."

"And besides the royal ass kicking, what's changed?" Pam asked as she rubbed her mending jaw.

"Well apparently flooding the area with our energies allows you to not lose control. Can you feel it?"

"Yes." Bill said as he closed his eyes. He was trying to decipher between the energies. "I can feel myself surrounded by power. Though I can't tell the difference between the two of you, are you both flooding us?"

"Yes." Sookie answered.

"Is this just a reaction from us or do you think it will happen with every vampire?" Pam asked, slightly relaxing.

"I will go out on a limb and say every vampire will react the same way." Eric said. "We will have to perpetually project while in the presence of any vampire."

They sat in silence for a little while. Bill and Pam were trying to digest all the extra information, Eric and Sookie were reading them as they sifted through all that's happened.

Before anyone had a chance to say anything more a knock came on the front door…which then proceeded to fall with a resounding crash to the ground revealing a stunned hotel worker. Tears welled up in Sookie's eyes as she tried to hold back her laughter and her body was literally shaking as she tried to contain herself. Eric laid his hand on her back, he was just glad they weren't playing poker because with Sookie he'd lose quick, fast, and in a hurry.

'_What the hell happened to this place? None of the other rooms look nearly as bad as this one…I am definitely not cleaning this room!'_

"Bring us a case of True Blood." Eric ordered. "We have hurt vampires and I don't want them to be tempted to hunt."

The poor hotel clerk actually paled at Eric's words.

'_I wonder if I can make it out of here. Look at that poor girl; I hope that she's not in any trouble…not that I could help her out with th-three vampires. Oh hell, I gotta go. Gotta go gotta go gotta go right now'. _He actually gave himself a mental shake. '_Snap out of it and disappear before they decide to have you instead of the True Blood.'_

"Yes sir." He replied to Eric. "Right away sir." He turned to go down the hall, but not before they heard him think: _'Oh no man, look how that big one is eyeing you. I hope that he doesn't like what he sees. Tammy says that they can glamorize you to make you do whatever they want. And whatever he wants from me I'm pretty sure I won't be able to handle it. RUN!!!!!'_

Sookie couldn't contain herself anymore; as the hotel clerk disappeared from the doorway she collapsed onto the floor in a fit of hysteria and gasping for air. Eric was roaring with laughter too but Sookie literally couldn't breathe. Pam and Bill exchanged looks with each other. _'I guess they really have lost it.'_ They thought at the exact same time.

Sookie was inconsolable. She didn't know if it was because she had died and come back to life, or if it was because it was almost dawn and she was just exhausted, or if it really was just that funny, but she couldn't bring herself to stop laughing. She clutched her sides as they began to cramp and her chest heaved with the stress of trying to push air through her body she just couldn't stop. Every time she would get close to control she would look at Bill or Pam's concerned look and she would fall into another round of giggles. It really didn't help that Eric was just as amused too because just like their love and their lust, their amusement (even when it's more than called for) was magnified by the bond.

Finally Eric was able to control himself enough to begin pushing calm through to Sookie. He knew that she couldn't die but she looked to be close to passing out. She just wasn't getting enough air and her face was completely red as her blood flushed under her skin. He saw desire flash in the eyes of Pam so he flushed the room again with his energy and it disappeared just as quickly as it had arrived.

Eric picked Sookie up off of the ground and carried her over to the couch where he sat down with her in his lap. She was wiping the tears away from her eyes and taking deep breaths so that she could compose herself, though she still felt Eric's amusement through the bond.

"Should I ask what that was about?" Pam asked.

"Later." Eric said. "It's almost dawn and we need to speak before you two go rest."

Everyone nodded, but he still waited until Sookie's breathing was back to normal before he began.

"Okay. We've got to go to Las Vegas. We will rest here during the day and tomorrow night I will call the king letting them know that we just received their message. That way we will be able to leave that day. Stan and Joseph and a few more of his people are coming with us. We will all ride on his private plane. The rest of the Texas contingent will arrive separately as will the rest of the parties.

"Pam, have you called and made arrangements for the Louisiana vampires?"

"Yes. I have started the chain for the originals and everything should be set up. I've already got the check that the first contingent is already moving tonight. I told them to make sure that they make it there by tomorrow night so that we will have time to organize."

"I believe that they will make it." Bill said. "This has been in place for a long time. Everyone knows what to do."

"The originals?" Sookie asked.

"You know that when Felipe took over he killed all the sheriffs except Eric." Pam began. "Well he replaced those sheriffs with his own people."

"He only killed the sheriffs, not the subjects." Eric said. "So beneath every sheriff is a small structure of the original Louisiana vampires, because you know that the areas were flooded with Nevada vamps at the takeover, which keeps in touch."

"They all check in with one rep and then that one rep checks in with us." Pam began again. "We never thought that there would be a revolution but we did think that with the takeover we, at the very least, should keep in touch and watch each other's backs."

"So now, all of the originals are coming with us to Vegas?" Sookie asked as she pictured the whole thing coming together.

"Yes lover." Eric said. "The other good thing about this is that they are all moving without the knowledge of the sheriffs, so by the time they know something is wrong it will be too late."

"What about the vampires that we acquired tonight after the battle?" she asked.

"They will be moving with the Texas vamps." Bill answered. "Joseph has assigned his second to oversee their movements."

"Good." Eric replied. "The others will not be flying directly into Las Vegas that would be too suspicious and Felipe will surely be notified of a sharp increase of flights. So they will be flying to several places around and then they will make their way. I will be watched to closely so it's going to be the two of you who will speak with them and then we will silently communicate."

"So that means that you can project as well?" Pam asked. Her eyes were alight with curiosity. Eric listened to her mind for a few seconds but there was nothing there except curiosity, pride, and love…for Sookie as well as himself. This pleased him immensely; Pam and Sookie were the two most important people in his undead life and to know that they genuinely cared for one another as well as him made him extremely pleased with them both.

'_Yes'_ Eric sent to her mentally. Pam's eyes widened as Eric's voice sounded off in her head.

Sookie had learned that the vampire world is full of technicalities, and each technicality was a closely guarded secret. Not even all vampires know them all because they were just things that were developed and learned over time. Like the fact that technically because he was Pam's maker and Bill's Sheriff, he could communicate with them without speaking. It works best with vampires who are very familiar with one another and who have learned how to listen for it. Both Bill and Pam have learned how to hear him. However even then it's got to be within a very short distance (for example if he were in his office at Fangtasia he would be able to silently call Pam if she was working the door, but not if she were say at home), they do it quite a bit at the club.

Being as old as he is Eric refused to have an ignorant child, so he taught Pam early on things that it took most vampires hundreds of years to learn. It's not that makers don't give the information usually it's that there is so much to teach a neophyte that some things just took precedence over others. Makers can call their children through their bond so teaching a child how to speak and listen to them silently isn't very high on the totem pole. Eric wasn't having that so the silent communication with Pam is a little clearer because they share more than just familiarity; they share the bond of sire and child.

Actually before Sookie, Eric and Bill got along quite well. They had come into contact with each other a lot and Eric took a perverse liking to Bill. Where most of the newborns Bill's age were the equivalent of human teenagers, Bill was not. Bill disliked what he was so he clung to his human ideologies' and restrained himself. Of course he killed but he didn't let himself enjoy any part of it. Eric took up the task of trying to convince him to enjoy what and who he was, a vampire. They both tried to change one another, Eric trying to give Bill more bravado and Bill trying to show Eric discipline and restraint for more than just keeping their existence a secret. Eric recognized him for the intellect that he was and there for imparted knowledge of their kind upon him. True, Bill had a very healthy respect for the cold blooded killer that Eric was, but he also couldn't help but be drawn to a vampire that has lived so very long. Though Eric wasn't his first teacher, he was definitely his best.

If a vampire had learned the art of communicating silently the thoughts were never _inside_the head of another. It more or less was the equivalent of whispering into someone's ear. This is what had Pam so mystified. Bill had inferred from their conversation and the look on Pam's face that either Eric or Sookie had just projected into Pam's mind.

'_And you would be right.'_Sookie projected to Bill.

Bill's eyes went wide and before Pam's reaction Sookie hadn't ever seen a vampire react so much outwardly.

'_Sookie?'_Bill thought in disbelief, Sookie nodded. _'It's like you're in here with me. How long have you been able to do this?'_

'_I've never projected into anyone, though Eric and I share a link with one another. Because I'm telepathic, he can use my ability too.'_

Bill couldn't help himself, he was naturally curious (that was the main reason he spent so much time around Eric, what intellectual would be able to turn away from almost a millennium of walking talking history?). _'Is that how you were able to fly earlier tonight, because Eric can?'_ Bill asked her.

'_Yes.'_Sookie answered simply.

'_Does this mean that Eric is listening to us now?'_ Bill asked as he used his peripheral to look at Eric to keep from making eye contact with him.

'_Yes.'_Sookie replied but she suddenly remembered something she needed to talk to Bill about. _'But I am going to block him for a moment because I want to talk to you about something.'_

'_What's going on Sookie?'_ Eric piped in.

'_Nothing Eric, it's just something I overheard from Bill and I need to speak with him about it.'_

'_Okay lover.' _He replied. _'Is everything okay?'_

'_Yes, it's nothing that I can't handle; though it is something I need to handle on my own. I'm sorry.'_

'_Don't be sorry. I understand that some things are private, and I trust that if it was something that affected us both that you would let me know about it. I trust you lover.'_Eric said with the upmost sincerity.

Sookie smiled and kissed Eric's cheek lightly. _'Thank you.'_

'_Sookie, is everything okay?'_ Bill thought at her.

'_Not really Bill, but we will work this out.'_

'_Then by all means, let's talk about whatever is troubling you.'_ Bill's face was full of concern.

'_I've blocked Eric from our thoughts so that we can talk privately to each other. I know what you are thinking Bill.'_Sookie stated carefully. _'I have been able to hear vampires thoughts for a while now, though it was very _hard_ on me.'_

Bill started to speak but she held up her hand so that she could finish.

'_I heard you when you came back after your fight with Eric. I know what you are planning to do.'_

"Sookie, you don't understand." Bill began to speak before she cut him off.

'_I understand perfectly Bill. I know what you are planning to do and why you're planning to do it and what you are hoping to happen after you do it.' _Sookie's chest began to heave with her silent conversation. She was trying to keep her temper to a minimum but she was having issues with that._ 'I won't allow it Bill.'_

'_Sookie, you don't know him the way I do. I've seen him do horrible things. I have known him for a very long time. He's going to hurt you and if my death is the only way to separate you two then I will joyfully give my life. You are worth it Sookie.'_

'_Bill, there is no separating me from him, that ship was gone a long time ago. We were made for each other…literally. We don't have enough time to go into the whole story but you need to know that it's impossible to separate Eric and I. We were made to be together and nothing anyone can do can change that.'_

'_Sookie, there has to be a way.'_ He pleaded uselessly.

'_There isn't, and even if there was I don't want to be separated from Eric. I love him more than anything. He's my soul mate.'_Sookie sincerely told him.

Bill closed his eyes in defeat as his dead heart shattered into a million pieces. The searing pain shot to his very core. He was willing the bloody tears not to fall but it was a battle that he was quickly losing. His body began to tremble and he didn't know how to stop it. Eric was going to kill her, or worse, he was going to shatter the beautiful being that he loved so much. His world was crashing all around him; he just didn't know how to hold it up any longer. If it was too late for him to save her, then it was worth death to stop this feeling.

With those four words Sookie had killed every light within him. There was nothing there, just a gaping abyss. Truly there was nothing worse than the loss of hope. This pain was unbearable; there weren't any words to describe it. All he knew was that no being should ever endure this, and he was no different. What's the point to this life if you never get anything you wanted? What was the point of living if you had nothing to live for? He had lost his reason to be, his reason to fight. He would not live past this battle. He would go to Las Vegas and he would fight. He would go to Las Vegas and he would die.

Sookie was torn. She was absolutely heartbroken for him. She didn't want to be the cause of that light going out inside him but at the same time she wanted to kick him because it was always all or nothing with Bill. There was never any middle ground. It always had to be his way or no way at all. She wanted him to fill loved but at the same time she knew that she couldn't be the one to love him…not in the way that he wanted and deserved. Sookie's heart ached for her friend and tears filled her eyes.

She didn't even notice that Eric had stopped talking to Pam and had wrapped his arms around her shaking body. He may not be able to hear her thoughts at the moment but he could feel her guilt and despair and slight defiance. He didn't know what she was talking to Bill about but apparently whatever it was had to be bad, because it was hurting them both. Bill looked utterly crushed and despondent. He had seen that face before many times on many vampires…right before they met the sun. Eric was shocked to see that look, especially on Bill. Bill may not have ever come to terms with what he was but there were two things that he possessed in copious amounts a thirst for knowledge and a will to survive.

Bill drowned in despair, for the first time since he was turned he actually felt dead. This was good, it was as if it was pointing him in the direction he should go. No his death may not split Eric and Sookie, but at least it would end his pain. How he could hurt so inexplicably and yet feel so empty, he didn't know. What he did know is that it was not something he could live with. First comes Vegas, and then comes the end.

This made Sookie's blood boil. Did he really think that she was going to let him off that easily? Before she knew she had moved she was standing in front of Bill holding him off the ground by his neck.

"You listen to me William Compton." She growled harshly at him. "I will _not_ allow you to die. If you dare kill yourself I swear that I will cross the river Styx or burst through the gates of Hell or where ever you believe you will end up at and I will drag you kicking and screaming back to life."

Bill was still far gone. He just gazed down at who used to be his reason to live and is now his reason to die. His mind was already preparing and moving on. There was no longing or pulling or anything. He had passed the point where even she could bring him back to life.

Sookie's hand tightened around his neck to the point of almost breaking it. She didn't realize that she was levitating off the ground or that gray was streaking through her hair. Eric stepped up beside her and grabbed the wrist of the hand that was dangling Bill.

"Sookie!" He began but Sookie turned away from his grasp.

"Stay out of this Viking!" Sookie hissed at him before turning back to Bill. "Bill I promise you that if you do anything anything to harm yourself, or if you don't fight for your life the way I know you can, or if you die for absolutely any reason. I will do whatever I have to in order to bring you back to life so that I can have the pleasure of kicking your ass and then killing you myself. Do you understand me?"

Her voice was strong but on the inside she was in turmoil. Something within her stirred but she couldn't tell what it was, it was too far beneath the surface, but it was still there.

Bill regarded her for a moment. He knew that he couldn't lie to her because she would be able to see right through it, but he just couldn't help but placate her. "Of course Sookie, as long as you want me here I will stay."

He was lying, and she knew it. He tried to cover it up but thinking that he _could_ stick to his words…but he wouldn't. She didn't care she was not going to let anything happen to him. She glared up at the broken vampire formally known as Bill. She was trying to decide between hugging his pain away and kicking his ass.

"Uh, Sookie?" Pam said. She instantly regretted opening her mouth as Sookie turned her penetrating glance on her though now they were solid silver. Unwilling to speak Pam just pointed over Sookie's arm towards the door.

There standing in the doorway was the same hotel clerk that ran away earlier. He stood there silently shaking with a case of True Blood in his arms. His mind was a jumble of shock and confusion as he took in the scene before him with one question continually coming back to the forefront of everything. _'Oh my God, how am I going to make it out of here alive?'_

Pam ghosted over to the door taking the blood from the clerk's arms and then glamoring him. He walked away thinking that he just walked in on them sitting around talking and nothing more. Pam turned back into the room and retook her place by Eric's side. Sookie still held Bill off the ground, her eyes were glowing like they had earlier and the silver streaks became more prominent in her hair.

Personally Eric would have loved to see Sookie kill Bill, but he knew that the guilt that would overtake her would nearly cripple her. Sookie was a fighter but she's never been a cold blooded killer. He had to help her, save her from herself. She was still blocking access into both her and Bill's mind but that didn't matter right now. What mattered was that he got Pam and Bill away from her before she completely transformed.

"Pam get into the bedroom, now." He said completely calm.

"But-" she started but was silenced by the severe look on his face and she ghosted into the bedroom (though she still watched what was going on through the door).

"Sookie put Bill down now before you hurt him." Eric said as if he was commanding one of his subordinates. He wasn't being condescending toward her, he needed to show strength if he had a chance to save Bill.

"He's giving up!" she hissed at him. "He didn't get his way so he's just giving up! He's going to kill himself, or allow himself to be killed in Las Vegas."

"Sookie, I said put Bill down _now_!" Eric said again. He stepped closer to them, ready to grab Bill and run if he needed to. Sookie was just barely holding on, just barely. He couldn't stop her from changing but he could get Bill away from her if he was forced to. He wasn't sure if Bill would be able to survive inside the enclosure or if it would be the same as what happens when anything comes into contact with the outside of their enclosure. "Sookie!" he called even louder to her.

She kept her hold on Bill but she turned her head to face him. She let her shields down so that he could hear the complicated swirl that was coming from both her and Bill.

"He's just giving up." She said again, this time more pained.

He understood exactly what she was saying. She was seeing her mom and her dad, her gran and every other person she knew of that had their lives forcefully taken from them. Sookie was deeply scarred, more than he or even she ever knew. She was seeing all her friends and family that had lost their lives, not willingly but forcefully; by accident or murder. All of them and fought to live and lost that battle, and here Bill was just giving up the battle that had claimed so many that she loved. He was taking the coward's way out and she was infuriated.

Bill was feeling pain of which he had never known before. Eric could sympathize with him because this pain that he was feeling was just a weak echo of what Eric knew he would feel if he ever lost Sookie. Bill's pain didn't compare to Eric's would be pain but it was enough that he could see why Bill didn't want to live with it but at the same time Eric would sacrifice Bill's pains a thousand times to keep it from destroying Sookie. She wouldn't let it go. She would see it as her fault and she would blame herself. It wouldn't matter what he would say to her, she wouldn't let it go.

In that moment Eric truly hated Bill, because this is what he had intended in the first place. Bill had counted on his death to drive them apart, but that's not what would happen. Bill's death, like this, would rock Sookie's faith in everything that made her who she was. She wouldn't trust others; she wouldn't trust in humanity, she wouldn't see the brightness or the good in any of it. She wouldn't see the reason to try and bring the magical community together because she would see herself as a killer or a perversion.

He couldn't allow this to happen. He would lock Bill in a coffin secured with silver chains if he had to. He would do whatever he had to in order to keep that light from flickering out in her eyes.

"Pam when I tell you to, grab Bill and take him into the bedroom, okay?"

"Yes master." Pam said. He could feel her fear as she readied herself to follow his orders.

"Sookie please, let Bill go." Eric said as he brought his hand up to cup her cheek in his palm. "I know what you are seeing, but don't worry because we will help him. He may want to give up on life, but we won't let him. We will anchor him whether he likes it or not and there won't be anything he can do about it."

"They didn't even have a chance. They fought every second to live." She shook Bill midair and tightened her grip. Eric could hear the bones grind together. "And he won't even fight, he won't even try."

Bill didn't even make a move, he just hung there limply. Sookie turned her gaze back to Bill.

"Pam now!" Eric yelled.

Pam made a bee line straight for Bill, grabbing his arm and pulling with all her might. Eric grabbed Sookie's wrist pressing on a pressure point to make her grip slack enough so that Pam could wretch him away from her. Then Eric ripped open the bond and allowed it to flow freely through him. His view of the room tinted gold as his eyes changed color and he could feel the bond flow around him in the form of his golden enclosure. He pulled Sookie into his arms and concentrated on making his enclosure solid just in case Sookie's exploded from around her.

Sookie tried to push away from him. She didn't want him to embrace her, she wanted to fight something. She wanted to hit something. She had grieved for her dead family she'd thought but there had been so many things going on that she had to cut it short. She never allowed herself to feel the full gravity of her losses until now, when she was faced with a loved one that wasn't willing to fight anymore to survive; a loved one that had actively sought to die. Everything came crashing back on her and she wanted to lash out.

She pushed out of his embrace and she punched Eric in the chest over and over. She didn't know what else to do; she just wanted someone that felt as bad as she did in that moment. She knew that Eric didn't deserve it but she couldn't stop herself from pummeling him over and over. She lashed out at the rage she felt for losing so much. So many family members and so many friends she would never see again.

It hurt like hell but Eric planted his feet and took it. He would be whatever he needed to be for Sookie, and right now she needed a punching bag. He gritted his teeth and tried to disburse the pain of her attack into his enclosure which was now almost solid because of it. He stood firm as she took out all the hurt and pain and anger on him. He let her pour out all her grief and guilt and everything else that she was feeling into him. Her blows had less and less power behind each of them but she kept going until finally couldn't lift her hands anymore and her legs gave way. Eric caught her before she fell an inch and once again he pulled her back into his arms. As she cried everything out.

Pam stepped out of the bedroom. It was hard for her to make out anything more than just the two figures inside the golden enclosure, even with the vampire eyesight.

'_Pam lock Bill inside his trunk. There is a silver chain in my luggage, Sookie left it open. Take it and secure it around his coffin. Go to sleep inside your coffin. Today we will all stay in the same suite.'_ Eric told her.

Pam nodded her head and complied. She really hated to see Sookie in so much pain but she knew at the same time that there was nothing she could do for her. Pam resolved to be the best friend that she could to Sookie, which was the least she could do after all that Sookie had done for her. Not counting the different times Sookie saved her life, the effect she had on Eric meant more to Pam than anything else. Sookie is the friend that she didn't even know she ever wanted.

Eric ripped open the bond even further hoping that he could draw all the hurtful feelings. The intense force of them made his knees want to buckle but he kept standing out of sheer will and stubbornness. When her sobs finally subsided she was just limp and quiet in his arms. He picked her up, Rhett and Scarlett style, and carried her over to Pam and Bill's room.

Pam had pulled both coffins into the sitting room. Bill's coffin was already secure and Pam was sitting on top of hers fighting her sleeping stupor waiting on him. He nodded at her and she climbed into her waiting coffin. He heard the lock engage as he walked into the bedroom.

He concentrated for a moment and pushed all his energy back into the bond. Once he was powered down he placed Sookie on the bed. She was awake but she just laid there not moving looking at him. He ghosted back into their room and grabbed all of their belongings and brought them over, he was able to do it in less than a minute-locking the door behind him.

When he walked back into the room he found her staring at the ceiling until he walked in, and then she focused on him again. He pulled off his own clothes and then gently removed her dress. Then and only then did he remember that she had worn no underclothes at his request. He saw a picture showing Sookie wrapped in his arms. He was wearing nothing but his boxers and she was wearing one of his t-shirts.

He took the hint and grabbed one of his Fangtasia shirts and dressed her in it. He left out her underwear…but that was more for him than her, besides she didn't show any in the picture she thought at him. He wrapped himself around her and held her close as she drifted off to sleep.

'_I will meet you at our place.'_ She thought to him right before exhaustion overtook her.

Eric kissed her gently and stroked her hair. He watched her for a few minutes before he went to meet her in the dream realm. Looking at her he could see that she was a walking contradiction. She was so strong and yet so fragile. She was explosive and yet so calm. She was very gentle and yet she never shied away from a fight. He loved her, God help him, he loved this beautiful, strong, fragile, explosive, calm, gentle, combative woman.

She needed to heal and that's what he was going to give her. With his plan already set, he cast out a mental net to take stock of the people around the hotel. Finding that there was no immediate danger to them he settled next to her and let the morning sun drag him into his slumber. It was time to heal his wife and strengthen them both.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear in any of the Charlaine Harris books, everyone else belongs to me

A/N: Hey everyone I would just like to take this moment to answer a few questions that I've gotten. First of all Gabriel is a man. When separated as Gabe and Briel, Gabe is a man and Briel is a woman, but when they are combined as Gabriel Gabe is the dominant being. Gabriel is a man. Second, Sookie still looks like Sookie. When she is powered up she gets the pointed ears of the Fae but that's it, she's not taller or thinner or anything like that. Sookie is a little smaller than she is in the books but that's because of the failing health at the beginning of my story. Once Eric came back and they started to train together she got healthy again so she's still built like the original Sookie...just a little more toned. No I cannot tell you where Amelia and Octavia are. No I cannot give hints as to who the betrayer is. Yes we will see Michael and Gabriel and all the other Archangels again. No I cannot explain more about Lilith other then the fact that she is a demon.

Thanks to everyone for showing so much support. If anyone has any questions at all for me please let me know and I will answer them the best that I can. I cant wait to hear what you all think. Please enjoy.

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Chapter 18

Sookie loved the smell of the rain. She sat on her porch in her rocking chair and watched as the rain poured out of a gray sky. She loved the smell of the grass during the rain and she loved watching nature taking its course. She just enjoyed watching and being a part of nature. She sipped her coffee from her Gran's favorite mug as she stared at everything and nothing before her.

A feeling of peace and love flowed over her. She closed her eyes and reveled in it, he was close. She looked out to the driveway, but no that's not the direction she felt him coming from. He was flying. She kept her eyes closed and she concentrated on him. She could feel the breeze on her face and her hair whipping behind her. She could feel the cool rain as it pelted her face. She could see an old house in the middle of the forest and her heart jumped. She opened her eyes and smiled. Eric would be here within seconds.

She stood and walked over to the stairs and leaned against one of the support columns just as a dark figure landed in front of her with the lightest of thumps. She smiled as he stepped forward. His hair was lying down in ringlets framing his beautiful face. He was clad in dark wash blue jeans and black biker boots. His black leather jacket was closed but she wasn't fooled. She knew of the heaven that lay beneath.

She smiled serenely at him as he stood on the third step so that they were eye level. He had a small smirk on his face as he gazed at her. He loved how at peace she seemed to be when he was around, even in this realm. She caressed his cheek with the back of her hand and instinctively he leaned into her touch.

"Let's get you out of these wet clothes." She said, taking his hand and pulling him completely onto the porch.

"Actually I would like to sit out here with you for a while." He said stopping at her front door.

She looked back at him. "Okay, take your jacket off and I will grab Gran's quilt from the couch. Do you want coffee?"

"Yes please." He replied as he took off his jacket.

They walked into the living room and he hung his jacket on the hook next to the door. She went to the kitchen to get his coffee. He began to wring out his wet hair.

"Leave it." Sookie said as she came back into the room. He was just about to focus and give himself dry hair, but if she likes it he loved it so he shook it out and swiped the ugly quilt from the back of the couch.

When he walked back outside, she was already sitting back into the swing waiting for him with two steaming cups in her hands. He sat next to her and spread the blanket over their legs. She handed him his coffee and shifted a little so that she could lean against him. He wrapped his arm around her and they just sat.

He had always loved nature, even when he was human. Everyone always wanted something from him but in nature he could just be. He didn't have to worry about the next battle or finding another wife or any of the confines of sociality that he had been born into. He was just a man and that's it. He was just a man with no name, no social status, and no expectations. It seemed as if he and Sookie truly were kindred spirits. The thought made him smile.

"So are you going to say it?" Sookie asked after a while.

"What, that you are not responsible for their deaths? Or that none of it was your fault? Or even that Bill is a grown vampire and is not any of your own responsibility. You know all this, that's why you fight so hard against it. You want to save everyone when that is clearly not your responsibility."

"But Eric…" she began.

"Sookie, from the moment a person is born it's just a countdown until death. What happens in between is life. Some people's will to live is greater than others, but it doesn't change the fact that everyone loses that battle Sookie…everyone. And I know it's the manner of death that bothers you. Your Grandmother was murdered, but it was not your fault."

"Yes it was." Sookie argued. "I was dating Bill. If I hadn't dated Bill then Rene wouldn't have come after me or wouldn't have killed my grandmother when I wasn't home."

"But that's just it Sookie. All you did was decide to love someone, that's it. You never made the decision to kill anyone you never willed someone's death intentionally. Yes, you've killed in defense of your life or the lives of those you love but you are not a heartless cruel woman and you don't deserve the guilt and the hate that you've directed at yourself. You can't help who you love Sookie. Rene was sick, not you. Rene is the murderer, not you. You must forgive yourself."

"I understand what you're saying Eric, I do but it doesn't change the fact that I made the decision to date Bill and that decision caused Rene to kill my grandmother."

Eric sat for a moment, completely frustrated at his inability to make her see reason. Then an idea struck him.

"Sookie Elizabeth Stackhouse you cut that out right now!" a stern voice ordered from the top of the steps.

Sookie jolted up in her seat and her hair whipped around as she jerked her head around from the speaker. There Gran stood with her hands on her hips wearing her favorite pink blouse and black ankle length skirt. Sookie jumped to her feet.

"Gran? What are you doing here?" Sookie asked she couldn't believe her eyes; how was it possible for her to be here?

"What kind of question is that Sookie? This is my house after all?"

"Y-yeah I know but…" Sookie couldn't say anymore. Tears welled up in her eyes and she flung herself at her dear grandmother. Gran's arms opened up at the perfect moment to accept her embrace, just as she always did when Sookie was little.

Sookie bawled in her grandmother's embrace. It had been too long since she had allowed herself to think of her. Now all the pain and hurt just poured out of her.

"I've just missed you so much!" Sookie heaved between sobs.

"Shh, I know baby, go on and let it out." Gran said as she rubbed gentle circles on Sookie's back the way it had always soothed her.

She slowly shuffled Sookie back over to the porch swing where Eric still sat staring at them intently. He was hoping that he hadn't made a mistake by bringing Sookie's Gran here. True it wasn't really her Gran, just an impression, but still he had to try something to get her to accept the words he's been trying to tell her.

Gran pulled Sookie onto her lap and gently rocked her back and forth, still rubbing her back.

"Now that's enough of that Sookie." Gran said gently. "I know that you've missed me sweet girl, and I have certainly missed you but that's enough of that crying. Tears won't change anything that's happened."

"It's all my fault." Sookie moaned as she tried to stop her tears.

"No it's not Sookie. It was just my time to go." Gran insisted.

"But if I wouldn't have been dating Bill it wouldn't have been your time."

"Now that's enough of that who shot John. I don't ever want to hear you say anything like that ever again." Gran chastised. "It was my time Sookie; the Lord was calling me home. If it wasn't Rene, it would have been a heart attack or a stroke or an aneurysm or something. It was my time Sookie."

Silent tears still poured from Sookie's eyes, and Eric had no idea how she was still able to cry. He thought about a box of Kleenex and when they appeared in his hands he offered them to Sookie.

"Thanks." Gran said as she pulled two out the box and began wiping Sookie's tears away. "Listen to me right now Sookie Elizabeth; you need to let me go. Not just me, but Dawn and Maudette too. Our deaths are not on you, they are on Rene. All you did was decide to love a man who happened to be a vampire, that's all. There is no shame in that Sookie; you don't get to choose who your heart loves."

"I know Gran but I can't help but feel that this is some way my fault." Sookie said, almost pleading.

"If you didn't love Bill would that have kept Maudette and Dawn alive?" Gran asked though she didn't wait for a response. "No, because Rene would have still been sick in the head. Maudette and Dawn both decided to carry on relations with vampires, and that was their right. Every person has the right to have relationships with whomever they want whether they're a man or a woman or a vampire or if they're black or white or pink or green. God gave us all the right to choose and no one should be punished for their choice."

Sookie's tears had stopped and she picked her head up off of Gran's shoulder. She took a tissue from Eric and blew her nose. She looked into Gran's loving gray eyes and knew that she was speaking nothing but the truth.

"Yes ma'am." Sookie said in a small voice.

"That's my girl." Gran smiled brightly at her. "All that I have ever wanted was for you and Jason to find happiness. I was so glad that you had found Bill. I was just so happy to see that you finally found love."

Sookie saw Eric stiffen in his chair. Eric realized that it wasn't only him that was contributing to this imprint, Sookie was helping it too-whether she knew it or not.

"I have been watching over you Sookie, not all the time, just some times. I want to know what's been going on in your life." Gran said as she pushed a stray hair back behind Sookie's ear.

Sookie stood and blushed. "Uh Gran, there's been quite a bit that's happened since you passed. Why don't we go inside and talk about it."

"Yes," Gran agreed. "And then maybe you will stop being rude and actually introduce me to your friend here…who is not Bill."

Sookie flushed again. "Of course, but once we get inside please." She offered her Gran her hand and helped her to her feet. Eric opened the door and stood aside so that they could enter before him. He looked out into the yard again and sees that the rain had stopped and that it was bright and sunny outside. He even caught a rainbow as he shut the door behind himself.

When he turned he saw that Mrs. Stackhouse had taken the arm chair that Sookie had once told him was her favorite chair. Sookie was not in the room yet, he had a feeling that she was in the kitchen making refreshments.

"Won't you have a seat mister?" Mrs. Stackhouse said with a smile. She indicated the couch and with a smile he sat.

Sookie came out of the kitchen with a tray with three glasses of iced tea. She sat them down on the coffee table and then sat next to Eric. She distributed each glass onto a coaster and he could feel her nervousness through their bond. He wanted to reach out to her but knew that she wouldn't like it until everything was explained to her grandmother, so he settled for sending her calm through their bond.

"You are stalling young lady." Gran said

Sookie took a deep breath and then steeled herself. "Gran this is Eric Northman. Eric this is my Gran, Adele Stackhouse."

Eric stood and offered his hand to Adele, who accepted, and he kissed the back of her hand. Her skin was soft and smooth but her grip was firm. "It is my pleasure to finally meet you Mrs. Stackhouse Sookie has told me so many wonderful things about you." He said with his best smile.

Adele blushed. "It's nice to meet you too Mr. Northman, but please call me Adele."

Eric sat back next to Sookie and smiled again. "Thank you Adele, please call me Eric."

Adele blushed again and then returned her gaze to Sookie expectantly.

"Well Gran, I'm not really with Bill anymore. I haven't been for a while now. Eric is my bonded…and my husband." Sookie flinched as if she was waiting for a blow.

"Husband?" Adele said in disbelief. She eyed Eric and Sookie again. "I think I'm going to want the whole story."

Sookie took another deep breath and began to tell her story, starting the night that Gran was murdered. She told everything though she left out anything having to do with sex because there was just some things that you should never tell your Gran no matter what. She could tell that Gran was listening intently though she never interrupted. Sookie was happy for her silence because she didn't know if she would be able to finish the story if she were interrupted.

Sookie talked about meeting Eric and how she was so scared of him and going to Dallas. She talked about meeting the Maenad and of helping to solve Lafayette's murder. She spoke of Hadley and the Queen and finding out Bill's true reasons for returning to Bon Temps. Sookie saw how Gran's eyes glowed with fury so she hurried through that part. She moved on to Eric losing his memory and taking care of him and then to Rhodes and bonding with Eric. Sookie told about meeting Niall and who he was and all that she knew about him which wasn't that much.

Sookie felt like a great purge was going on when she was telling her story to Gran. With every word she felt lighter and lighter. She loved the look on Gran's face as she listened intently at Sookie's words; it was the same one as when she was immersed in a good book. Her eyes were large when Sookie was talking about the Were's and how she met Quinn at the Pack Master's competition. Though nothing was as priceless as her face when she told about the take over and what Eric did for her.

Every so often Adele's eyes would drift from Sookie over to Eric, as if she were evaluating and the re-evaluating him. Eric didn't flinch under her intense scrutiny, especially when Sookie told of how he stayed away from her for two months and her deteriorated state when he finally came to see her. She actually sat forward on her chair as Sookie went though the battle in Dallas and how they were killed and then everything that happened to them in Heaven.

He saw how her hand went over her heart unconsciously as Sookie reviewed their powers and their marriage and how they were made for one another. Adele's eyes practically glowed as Sookie held out her hand for her to see her wedding ring. Only Adele's smile was able to match the happiness in her eyes.

Sookie was getting tired as she went though the events of the night before. He could see that Adele's face had turned ever so subtly into one of calculation as she heard about Sookie's issues with Bill. When she was finally done she sank into his side even more and they all sat in quietness so that Adele could have a chance to digest years of events within a few moments.

"Okay, I can see that you…" Adele began but stopped. She took a deep breath and let it out in a loud sigh. "First of all, I should say congratulations to you both." She stood and hugged Sookie and then pulled Eric into a hug too, much to his surprise.

"Thank you Adele." Eric said serenely as he embraced her.

She pulled back and looked at him in his eyes. Her gray eyes were deep and penetrating, he felt as if she were seeing completely through to his soul…this must be where Sookie gets it from.

"I am just glad that Sookie has such an honorable man by her side." She smiled at him, and he could see even more of Sookie in her. Adele was absolutely beautiful and he knew at that moment that if Sookie could age, this is what she would've looked like. She would have still been absolutely magnificent and he would've loved her just as deeply as ever. "From what she says, you have always been there for her and you have never let her down. I am proud to have you in my family young man."

Eric smiled as she released him to go back to her seat. She was just like Sookie, she didn't see a vampire before her; she just saw a man that loved her granddaughter deeply. No wonder Sookie's heart was so tender. Growing up with a woman that seemed so fierce and yet gentle at the same time, Sookie really didn't have a chance. True Jason was a complete dick but every rose garden has a few thorns.

"Really Gran," Sookie squealed. Having Adele's acceptance seemed to give her a new life. "You're really happy for me? You're not mad that I married a vampire and that I won't have kids of my own?"

Adele waved her hand for Sookie to stop speaking. "Sookie, you are happy. What more can I ask for? So you found completeness with a vampire, there are definitely worse places to find it. And as for kids, just because you can't have them with Eric doesn't mean that they won't find you. You of all people should know that the Lord will make a way for anything your heart desires. It may not be how you pictured it, but it will always be what you need. God does not make mistakes Sookie. How many times have I told you that?"

Sookie laughed. "About a million."

"Exactly." Adele replied.

Sookie took a deep breath. She felt a pang of sadness.

"What's wrong baby?" Adele asked before Eric got the chance.

"It's Bill." Sookie murmured. "I don't love him anymore, I really don't; but I do value him as a friend. You know that I haven't had many, so the ones I do have I want to hold on to. I just can't get past how bad things have gotten with him."

The look of calculation returned to Adele's face. Eric tried to read her mind only to find that Sookie was blocking. He rolled his eyes; of course Sookie wouldn't want to hear the thoughts of her grandmother.

"Sookie what do you want from Bill?" She asked.

"I don't know. I just want him to be happy. I don't want to be the reason for his death. He's lived over a hundred years and I don't want him to give up all that time and determination to survive because of our failed relationship. I really don't blame him for any of it anymore. I've already forgiven him. I just want him to forgive himself so that he can move on and find that person who's going to make him happy."

"Well there's a solution for every problem Sookie." She said. "Maybe you need to stop trying to force it, let it come to you. You will know what to do when the time comes. It seems to me that you just need to convince Bill to give you time to figure it out. If he's the man I remember he was then I'm sure that he will at least grant you that much."

Sookie thought about it. Gran's words had struck a chord with her. She was sure that she could convince Bill of that much. She had forgiven him so much, the least that he could do was to give her a little time to help him. She would pull out every guilt trip and trick that she knew to get her what she wanted because if it meant that he would live then it would definitely be worth it. Eric loved seeing the devious side of his wife. He leaned over and kissed her temple.

"So I was thinking that while I am with you I could make your favorite." Adele said with a sly look at Sookie.

Sookie's face lit up. "Oh really Gran? I would love to have your seafood gumbo!"

"Do you have everything I need?" Adele asked as she got to her feet.

Sookie concentrated for a moment and then smiled. "We do now! And Gran, I was just wondering if we could maybe have some of your pecan pie too…" She looked pleadingly up to her Gran through her lashes giving her the puppy dog eyes.

"Of course we can." Adele said smiling down upon her. Then she looked at Eric. "Uh what do we need to get you? I don't want you to be left out."

Eric smiled at her thoughtfulness. "I can eat whatever you do here; there will be no need for blood."

Gran's eyes grew slightly at that but didn't comment. She just nodded her head and went into the kitchen.

"Thank you for this." Sookie said when Gran disappeared into the kitchen.

"Anything for you Sookie." Eric replied. "I hope that you can believe what I've already been saying now."

"I do." Sookie said. "It was not that I didn't believe you, it's just that it wasn't you that I felt that I had wronged. You could forgive me anything but you just weren't _her_, you know?"

"I understand." He assured her. "You needed to know that you had your Gran's forgiveness, and no one could give you that but her…even though there was nothing to forgive."

Sookie smiled. "Thanks for putting up with me."

"You will pay me back later." He told her confidently and the wagged his eyebrows suggestively. He pulled her closer to him and leaned in for a kiss.

Sookie laughed and returned his kiss for a quick moment but then pushed him away. "Stop that, my Gran is in the other room."

Eric laughed. "I can be quiet."

"But I can't." She replied as she laughed along with him.

Eric eyed her speculatively for a moment and then grinned triumphantly. "That is very true lover." He purred kissing her right below the ear making her whole body shudder.

Eric pulled back before he got too caught up in making Sookie not be quiet. "I was thinking."

"This can't be good." Sookie quipped out of habit, and then smiled up at him angelically.

"You will pay for that later lover." Eric said winking at her. "Though I was thinking that since your Gran is making us dinner then why not make it a true family dinner."

"What do you mean?" Sookie asked. They were family already; Gran was just the icing on top.

Eric smiled at her proudly. He was glad to know that she thought of him as her family. He would never get tired of hearing it.

"Actually what I meant was, how about we invite your parents and mine. I know that you don't remember the last time you met them because that was a part of my dream, but if you met them here you would certainly remember."

Sookie tossed her arms around his neck. "Oh Eric I would absolutely love, love, _love_ that!" She crowed. "Can Pam come too?"

"Lover this is our realm, anyone you want to be here can come." Eric said.

"I would love to have dinner with our parents. I can't wait for them to meet! And then to see them meet Pam is going to be great. What will you tell them?"

"The truth of course." Eric said confidently.

"Eric I'm not sure what I ever did to get a man like you but I am very happy. You make me so very happy." Sookie said sincerely.

"I think I know what you mean." Eric said with a half smile that was completely breath taking. "This little blond girl stole my un-beating heart and I have never been so happy."

Sookie placed her hand over his heart and focused for a moment. She listened to the beat of Eric that played in her mind and projected it into his chest. Eric gasped and covered her hand with his.

"What un-beating heart?" Sookie asked as she tried and failed to keep a straight face.

"I love it when you bring me to life." Eric said. He kept Sookie's hand at his chest and they enjoyed the rhythm together.

There was a knock at the door and Sookie hopped up to get it but Eric pulled her back down. "Come in!" He yelled at the door. After all it wasn't as if someone unwelcomed could come in here.

Pam opened the door and stepped inside. "Sookie, Eric, it's so nice to see you two all comfortable on the couch." She said with a sly smile.

"Come on in Pamela" Eric said. "Have a seat." He directed her over to the arm chair that Adele had left vacant. By this time a heavenly aroma was floating through the air.

"What's going on Master?" Pam asked as she sat down. She was wearing a white skirt that came mid-calf with a canary yellow cashmere sweater that had three-fourths sleeves. She had on a pair of matching peep toe heels. Her hair was full of loose curls though the top was pulled back and away from her face.

"We are having a family dinner, and because you are my child, you were naturally invited." Eric stated.

Pam smiled widely. "Really? We have never had a family dinner before."

"We are doing it for Sookie." Eric replied. "Her parents and mine will be here shortly."

As Eric finished speaking the front door opened again and Sookie's father stepped through. "Mom are you home?" he called.

"I'm in the kitchen!" Adele responded.

Sookie's dad stepped further into the house and held the door open. Sookie gasped again as her mom stepped in behind her father. They looked exactly how she remembered. He was dressed in a pair of blue jeans with a flannel long sleeved button down. She had on a white sundress with sunflowers all over it and her favorite pair of sunflower flip-flops.

"Mom, Dad?" Sookie asked. They looked at her with wide surprised eyes.

"Sookie, you are beautiful." Her dad said as he made his way over to her.

Sookie jumped into his arms and squeezed him tightly. He began to laugh as he shifted uncomfortably in her arms.

"Uh, that's quite a kung-fu grip you got there Sookie." He said.

"Oh I'm sorry dad." Sookie said as she jumped back from him. "It's just that I am so glad to see you."

"Hey, I wasn't done hugging you yet." He said and then he pulled her close again.

Tears silently streamed down Sookie's face and onto his shoulder and he gently rubbed her back. After what seems like forever he finally pulled away from her and wiped her tears with the back of his hand.

"Please don't cry Sookie, you're too beautiful for that. Where's my smile at today?"

Sookie laughed at that because that's what he would always say to her when she came home from school upset over what she had heard in someone's mind. She smiled brightly for her daddy.

"Ah, there are my hundred watts." He beamed back at her and then took a step to the side so that her mom could hug her.

"Sookie, baby it's so great to see you!" She said as she pulled Sookie into a hug. "I have missed you oh so much."

"I've missed you too Mama." Sookie replied.

Her mom pulled back but held her hands and looked Sookie up and down.

"You've turned into such a beautiful woman Sookie. There's something about you that is just so bright and beautiful. I just can't seem to put my finger on it." She said as she continued to study Sookie.

"I think you're looking in the wrong place." A sly voice came from the door that leads into the kitchen. "Try putting your finger on the man next to her and you might find your answer child." Gran said with a devious grin.

Sookie flushed and they all looked at Eric.

"Oh I'm so sorry." Sookie said as she reached for Eric's hand and pulled so that he would stand. "Mom, Dad, this is my husband Eric Northman. Eric this is my Mom and Dad, Patricia and Charles Lee Stackhouse."

Eric held his hand out politely to Sookie's father, who looked at it speculatively for a moment before he took it.

"You can call me Lee son." He said after giving Eric the once over. "But if you ever hurt my little girl then you will be calling me 'Sir' and I will be calling you 'dead'."

Sookie winced as she realized that her parents hadn't realized the truth about Eric (why would they, they weren't alive during the great revelation). Gran giggled from the doorway.

"Oh I think that ship has sailed Lee." She said with a deviant grin on her face.

"I expect no less from you Lee." Eric said trying to charm her dad. Sookie knew he was a goner because no one stood a chance once Eric decided to be charming towards them.

"It's very nice to meet you Mr. Northman." Sookie's mom said in an awed voice.

Sookie knew that tone. It's the tone she usually reserved only for her dad and the tone that every fang banger that entered Fangtasia used when they tried to entice Eric. Sookie looked at her mom in disbelief.

Eric smirked at her. It had never been this easy to impress Sookie and if it had he had certainly missed the memo. To think that another generation of Sookie's family thought him to be attractive. It was not the first time it has happened. In a thousand years he has entertained many generations within the same family, it simply couldn't be helped; but it was amusing to him to see it happen with Sookie's. He eyed Adele for a moment to see her eyes also drinking him in appreciatively, though when he caught her gaze she quickly ducked back into the kitchen.

"Please Mrs. Stackhouse, call me Eric." He purred. "I insist." He bent and kissed the back of her hand making her blush. It was hard for him to resist preening right there. What an ego trip.

"Oh, uh please call me Patsy." Sookie's mom managed without stuttering…just barely.

Lee was scowling at Eric for flirting with his wife when his daughter was standing right there. Sookie punched Eric in the ribs.

'_Cut it out Eric.'_ She said. _'I would hate to have to slap my own mother.'_

Eric smiled at her in a way that always made her knees go weak as he released her mom's hand. He looked like a kid that was doing something wrong but got caught by a relative that he knew wouldn't punish him. She rolled her eyes at him when her next comment was interrupted before she even had a chance to think it.

"What's going on here Sookie?" Lee said. "You're chewing your lip so I know you're hiding something. What was Mother talking about when she said 'oh I think that ship has sailed Lee'"?

Sookie was starting to panic. How do you explain to your dead mom and dad that vampires actually exist? They not only exist but you have married a very old and powerful one that your mom thinks is hot. If only there was a Hallmark card for this occasion…

As Sookie opened her mouth to speak someone knocked on the door.

"You two have a seat and I will get the door." She maneuvered past her parents and Eric and all but ran to the door.

If she were less frazzled she would wonder who would be knocking, but she really didn't care because all she wanted at the moment was to get away from her explanation to her parents. She gratefully opened the door to be met by Eric.

Well it was Eric but it wasn't Eric. Clearly Eric was standing next to the couch by her sitting parents, but this man was his replica. Or maybe she should say that this man was almost Eric's replica. He was just as tall as Eric and well muscled though he was much heavier. Clearly he hadn't retired from whatever duties that put him in such great shape. He had long blond hair that was streaked through with gray and it came well down his back where Eric's stopped at about his collarbone. He had age lines around his eyes that Eric did not and he also had a long and full beard. It easily lay on his well toned chest and had three braids hanging from the chin; it too was well streaked with gray. Everything about this man screamed Eric…everything except his eyes that were a beautiful green.

No, Eric's eyes belonged to the beautiful blond standing next to the older Eric replica. She was a bit taller than Sookie with long blond hair that flowed almost the whole way to her waist. She had high cheek bones and full lips. She had dimpled cheeks though she wasn't even smiling. Her neck was long and swan like. Her eyes were a contradiction. They seemed so gentle and yes they had fire behind them. She had an ample bosom and a body of curves; she was what Eric would call voluptuous and what she would call stacked.

They both were dressed nicely but definitely not dressed up. They looked as if this is what they would have worn on a normal summer day. The furs and pelts that would protect against the furious cold was absent from both. He was dressed in a green tunic and leather pants; both were looser than what Eric wore to accommodate his bigger form. She was wearing a simple blue long sleeved dress that went all the way down to the floor. The neck was cut wide and barely held on to her rounded shoulders and it was cut deep enough to give only the slightest hints of her plentiful bosom. She was breathtaking.

The man spoke but she didn't understand him though she recognized some of the words from Eric. She looked over her shoulder at him and then turned back to the couple standing before her.

"Please forgive me for my rudeness." She said as she smiled sweetly. "Please come in."

They looked at her confused because they didn't understand a word that came out of her mouth. She thought for a second and then beckoned them to come in with her hands and motioned toward Eric. They took a few steps into the door and looked where she was pointing. As soon as her eyes fell upon Eric the woman, his mother, let out a squeal and ran into his arms.

Eric bent down and wrapped her tightly in his arms. He lifted her completely off of the ground. She peppered every part of his face that she could reach in her loving kisses. Sookie gripped her heart at the loving embrace. Eric's entire face lit up, the only other time that she's seen him so happy was when they were together. She's always seen the human side of him, but it was never more apparent than when he had his mom in his arms. Sookie's eyes filled with tears as she silently moved over and stood next to Pam. Pam looked up at her when she got there and Sookie could see tears in her eyes also.

"Pam, you're leaking." Sookie said quietly under her breath but she knew Pam would still hear her.

Pam laughed and swiped the offending moisture away only to have them replaced again by another wave. Sookie focused for a moment and then offered Pam a Kleenex, and then took one for herself. The love that filled the room even got to Patsy and Sookie offered her a tissue too.

Now they were just standing there whispering into each other's ears though Eric was still holding her off of the ground. Eric's father just stood there and watched them with an indulgent smile; apparently this was not a new thing to him. Sookie could practically feel the pride and love he held for his son and wife.

Eric finally put down his mother with one last kiss and then he turned to his father. They smiled brightly as Eric bowed his head out of respect and his father stepped closer to him. They clasped each other's arms in an ancient handshake, and with their free arms they embraced one another. They too shared words with one another with one another.

"Wow." Sookie heard her mother breathe as she watched father and son greet each other.

"I know." Pam replied.

Sookie felt eyes on her so she looked around the room to see Eric's mother studying her. Sookie offered her a small smile, in which she returned. Sookie wanted to say something to her but she didn't know how to speak Eric's native language. She had been meaning to learn but she hadn't had the time.

Eric and his father exchanged a few more words and then Eric stepped around him and wrapped an arm around his mother. They all stepped forward towards Sookie and Pam, but before he could say something they heard a voice come from the open door. They looked over to see yet another Eric that wasn't really Eric.

The non-Eric said something with a sly smile, and even to Sookie it sounded like as smart assed remark. Pam chuckled and Sookie looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Pam just shook her head at her. Eric stepped around his mother and replied harshly to the non-Eric. He stood there scowling at Eric, who was returning the look. Then the non-Eric broke first and smirked. Eric closed the distance between them and they hugged each other fiercely.

If Sookie was a betting woman, and she is, she would bet all of her money that this was Eric's brother. She never knew Eric had a brother, and by the looks of him, he's Eric's younger brother.

He was two or maybe three inches or so shorter than Eric and very muscular but still leaner than Eric. He has long blond hair that was a few inches longer than Eric's though it was a darker blond and wavier. His features were just as cut and prominent as Eric's though he didn't look to be any older than Sookie. He looked as if he was just beginning to mature into his looks and age. His beard was just beginning to fill in and his dimples were clearly visible through the fuzz.

As they embraced they laughed and spoke jovially to one another. They were clearly close. After they stepped back from one another Eric kept his hands on the shoulders of the non- Eric. Eric was beaming with pride and non-Eric was looking at Eric with something akin to hero worship.

After a little bit Eric stood back so that his brother could embrace their mother. She hugged him fiercely and kissed him lovingly, though it was nothing like the way she embraced Eric. Their father greeted his second son the same as his first. It was easy to see that he was just as proud of him as he was of Eric.

Eric took up the vacated spot next to his mother and once again wrapped his arm around her. She leaned into his embrace as they stepped closer to Sookie.

"Adele, would you mind coming in here for a moment?" Eric called towards the kitchen. "There are people I want to introduce."

They heard some shuffling in the kitchen before Gran reappeared a moment later. "Oh who do we have here?" She asked the room in general with a welcoming smile to the new arrivals.

"Sookie, Adele, Pam, Lee, and Patsy I would like to introduce you to my parents Jarl and Aesa. And this is my little brother Leif.

Sookie stepped forward and offered her hand to his mother. "Hello ma'am I'm Sookie Stack-Northman. It's a pleasure meeting you." She looked up to Eric who was beaming at her and then he translated Sookie's words.

Aesa's eyes grew wide for a moment and she looked back at Sookie surprised, and then delighted. She pushed Sookie's hand aside and pulled Sookie into a tight embrace. Sookie heard someone say something in another language and then a smack. She guessed that Eric's brother had made another smart assed comment and Eric smacked him.

Aesa pulled back and spoke softly to her. The more she heard Eric's language the more she liked it. She didn't know what Eric's mom was saying but it was very beautiful.

"She says that she is very happy to meet you and that she is so happy to see that her son has settled down with such a beautiful woman." Eric smiled at her. "She also says welcome to the family and she will pray to Freyja to help you survive me."

Sookie burst into laughter along with the rest of her family. Sookie smiled brightly at Eric's mother and kissed her cheek. Then she stepped to the side and she was standing in front of Eric's brother who smiled mischievously at her.

"It's good to meet you Leif." Sookie said as she offered him her hand.

His grin suddenly turned into one of calculation. Sookie grinned at him nervously. He spoke to her softly but as if he were confused by something. Pam broke into laughter. Sookie looked over her shoulder at her but Pam just laughed some more. Eric's hand swung out to hit his brother but Leif ducked it easily. Sookie looked at Eric in question.

Eric rolled his eyes but said "He wants to know if you suffered a brain injury because that's the only reason he can see that someone like you would marry me instead of him."

Sookie burst into a fit of giggles and turned back to Leif. "No, no brain trauma." She said. "He's my soul mate, there's no one I would ever want more than him."

Eric relayed the message and Leif scoffed and spoke again. Sookie didn't know what he was saying but she relaxed and let a more natural smile cover her face.

Instead of relaying the message, Eric responded to his brother. They had a few more exchanges before Leif gestured towards Sookie again. Eric huffed and rolled his eyes again.

"He says that he can see how you would have thought that I would be your soul mate before you met him, though clearly you are too good for me. I told him that he better be careful where you are concerned because I would hate to have to dismember my only brother. He replied that a beauty like you is worth dismemberment. I agreed with him and he said he thought of a better use for a sister in law." Eric stopped there, he looked as if he was caught somewhere between amusement and irritation.

"What's that?" Sookie asked when Eric didn't continue.

"He wants you to be his partner in crime. He wants to use you to get even with the 'Perfect One'."

Sookie cocked her head to the side for a moment and studied Eric. "The 'Perfect One'? Who is the 'Perfect One'?"

Eric smiled at her. "Me." He answered. "But I can't help it if I have a natural talent for-"

"Everything." Sookie finished for him and began laughing. "I guess it was stupid to think that you weren't perfect back then too." Eric rolled his eyes at her though he was still smiling. "Tell him that I would be happy to help."

Eric looked at her in disbelief. "You can't be serious Sookie." He said.

"Of course I am." Sookie replied with a deviant grin. "Who am I to deny my brother in law?" Eric was still gaping at her so Sookie turned to Leif and nodded her head yes. He beamed at her and pulled her into a big hug.

Leif was almost as vibrant as Eric. They both seemed to have a certain zeal for life and it seemed that Leif had just as big of a mischievous side to him as Eric did. She thought that she would get along well with Leif. He seemed like her type of people.

Sookie pulled back from Leif's fierce embrace and kissed his cheek. Leif winked back at her and spoke softly though his smile. Eric growled but Sookie could tell that it was half hearted.

"He says that if you ever get tired of me you will always have another choice." Eric said.

Sookie just laughed and rolled her eyes at Leif who laughed with her. Sookie stepped over to Jarl. Sookie looked back to Eric for a moment. _'Eric I want to impress him. How do I say 'It's a great honor to meet you Chief Jarl.'?'_

'_He's already impressed with you Lover but if you really want to know it's 'Det er en stor Honolulu till träffa du Huvudman'.'_

Sookie thanked him and then bowed to Jarl and repeated Eric's words to him. Jarl placed his hand under Sookie's chin and gently lifted it up until Sookie was standing straight.

"Det er en stor Honolulu till träffa du Huvudman" He said and offered her a small smile. "JAG välkomnande du in i vår familj. Min form har väljare brunn."

Sookie didn't understand what he said but bowed her head to him once more before she turned to Eric.

"He says that you honor him young one and that his oldest has chosen well for himself." Eric said with a proud smile.

Sookie beamed at Eric and then at Jarl. She was so happy to be accepted so completely accepted by Eric's family and she threw her arms around Jarl and kissed his cheek. A second later her mind caught up with her actions and she jerked back from the chief who was looking at her with surprise, but he still had a smile on his face. He said something else and Eric laughed and gave a short response.

Eric held his hand out to Sookie and she took it gratefully. "Sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"Nonsense, you haven't embarrassed me in the least. In fact you have made me very proud. They all are very pleased with you, as I knew they would be."

"Thank you." Sookie responded and lifted her head to kiss him.

Eric went around the room and introduced everyone to his parents and translated everyone's pleasantries. Though she didn't really understand what was said, it looked to Sookie that Leif and Pam were getting along exceptionally well.

Eric was glad that he brought Leif here with them. It made him very happy to see him and Pam laugh and flirt with one another. Eric always joked that Leif was his miniature to which Leif would proclaim that the god's wouldn't be so cruel as to create another Eric. He liked that he was free to speak his natural tongue to those he loved most. It gave him great comfort. They all sat around the living room talking and getting to know one another.

Adele disappeared back into the kitchen after serving everyone refreshments. His and Sookie's parents were born worlds and centuries apart and yet they both seemed to be fascinated with one another. It made Eric's heart swell to see how great everyone seemed to fit together. Sookie knew exactly what he meant.

Finally Adele came and told them that dinner was served. "We are going to eat out back." Sookie said to everyone.

"So everyone grab something and take it on back." Adele finished for her.

Sookie grabbed the gigantic pot of seafood gumbo but Eric took it out of her hands and pointed her pouting face to the salmon platter. Sookie rolled her eyes but complied and grabbed the platter and went to the backyard. There was no place setup for them to eat so she concentrated for a moment and a huge white tent appeared with a round table set for nine. They all trooped outside and took their places at the table. Sookie sat between Gran and Eric.

"Sookie dear I found that Swedish cook book you had in the kitchen. I took the liberty of cooking a few selections for our guests." Gran said.

"That was a great idea Gran thanks." Sookie said as she squeezed Gran's hand in appreciation.

The conversation flowed easily despite the language barriers. Both Pam and Eric translated for the table. Everyone seemed to be very happy with the new companions. Eric seemed so carefree. Sookie saw as much pride and happiness on Eric's face when he looked at Leif as she saw when Jarl look at Eric, and it was amazing. Aesa seemed genuinely loving towards Sookie. Sookie got the impression that she really wanted a daughter. This just made Sookie's entire day.

Leif seemed to be trying to convince Eric that he was now able to take him. Eric thought that was hilarious and claimed that Sookie would be able to take him down. That got everyone's attention.

"Er du en slagskämpen?" Leif asked incredulous.

Sookie blushed but nodded her head when Eric told her what his words meant.

"Kanna vi se?" Chief Jarl asked. Sookie turned to Eric who translated his words to "Can we see?"

"Is that okay?" Sookie asked Eric.

"Of course it is." Eric said with a reassuring smile. "Would you like me to be your partner?"

"Yes please." Sookie said. Her stomach was filling up with butterflies. Eric's family were professional fighters by the looks of them. She was powerful but she was still a beginner compared to them. What if she made a mistake? What if she looked stupid in front of them? What if they thought she was a joke?

"And what if you're completely magnificent?" Eric interrupted her rapid thoughts. "Just relax; you know what you're doing. They will be proud."

Sookie took a deep breath and tried to relax while Eric stood and addressed the table.

"Everyone we will have a little exhibition now. Sookie has become a very gifted fighter." Eric said as Pam translated his words to his family. "Sookie and I have both been blessed with a multitude of gifts and abilities and we would like to share them with you. Please know that neither of us will be in any danger at any point during this." Everyone at the table shared confused and nervous glances with each other. "If everyone is done, please follow us to the front of the house."

Eric offered his hand to Sookie and they lead the way around the house and into the front yard. Adele, Aesa, and Patsy sat together on the porch swing. Jarl and Lee sat on the porch steps while Leif stood off to the side of the steps because he was too excited to sit.

Sookie and Eric faced them in the yard. "We will start with hand to hand and then we will slowly take you through all the gifts we have been blessed with." Eric said.

Sookie was shifting from one foot to the other nervously.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to lover. We can always fight others." Eric offered.

"No, it's okay. I feel more comfortable with you than anyone else." Sookie said. "I know Gabe is looking forward to seeing us fight one another, so I guess I better get over my fear of you sooner or later."

"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do." Eric responded.

"I know." Sookie said. "And thank you."

"Anything for you Lover." Eric said and he bent to kiss her. Leif yelled something at them. Eric broke away from her lips and smiled ruefully at her.

They took two steps away from one another and crouched into their attack positions. Sookie's heart began to beat faster in her chest as her adrenaline kicked in. Suddenly she saw this fight in a whole new light. She saw it as more of a challenge; a challenge that she was now looking forward to. She didn't want to hurt Eric or anything but she was looking forward to proving that she was his equal in every way. She smiled at him.

Eric saw the anticipation sparkle in Sookie's eyes. He was glad that she was now looking forward to this fight because now that meant that he could truly find out the extent of her abilities on the Eric Scale. "Still scared Lover?" He taunted.

"You wish." She smiled back.

Eric smiled back at her. "Never." And with that one word he attacked.

Sookie easily dodged his attack though something about it seemed to be a little off. She didn't have a lot of time to think about it because Eric was on her in a second. She blocked his punches over and over as she tried to think of what was going on. Then Eric winked at her and it finally struck her. Eric was not actually fighting her, he was just playing her. She blocked a one-two punch quickly landing her own squarely on his chest knocking Eric back three feet.

Eric leered at her. "Very good Lover."

"Why aren't you fighting?" Sookie demanded.

"Oh but I am Lover, I am." Eric replied with a sly smile. Eric jumped to her throwing fast and furious punches that still seemed half assed to Sookie. Eric laughed and swiftly tapped her on the butt.

Sookie growled and flipped away from him. Eric laughed and gave her an innocent look as if he didn't know what was going on. Sookie could hear laughter come from behind her and turned to see Leif trying and failing to stifle his laughter…even Pam was able to keep it to a wide grin. Sookie huffed and launched herself at Eric putting together great combinations only to have Eric grab her wrist and roughly pull her to him and kissed her cheek before pushing her away again.

"Mmm, Älskaren du smaksinne god." He called to her and then projected _'Mmm Lover you taste good'_to her. He kissed his fingers as if giving kudos to her flavor. His brother and father laughed and Sookie heard Pam giggle also. Sookie looked back to his mother to find her smiling and shaking her head at her son. Gran's eyes widened and Sookie bent backwards as far as she could go. Eric flew over her and there was barely an inch that separated their bodies. Eric winked at her as their eyes met.

Leif yelled something to them and Eric laughed. "He says that that was a close call."

"So is this." Sookie growled as she launched herself at Eric throwing punches and kicks as fast as she could. Eric was blocking and attacking her too with a big smile on his face. He still thought it was a joke and that made Sookie's blood boil.

Eric didn't help the situation as he kept tapping Sookie on the behind and shoulder, or brushing his hand over her cheek. These became the only time that Sookie was able to lay a hit on him. Sookie's temper began to get the best of her and Eric just began to smile even bigger at her. Eric stroked Sookie's cheek gently and she landed a kick to his side with all her might.

Jarl spoke to Eric and he laughed. Replying it him "That's true dad she is a feisty one."

Sookie could handle Eric being the better fighter, what she didn't like was that she was giving it the best she had and he wasn't, and yet he was still able to caress her cheek or tap her on the butt. She didn't like that he wasn't fighting with all of his ability. Okay let's be honest, she never thought that she would be able to beat Eric in a fight. Whether or not she drew on his experience, it was still his experience and he still had a thousand years of fighting knowledge to use against her. He was patronizing her and she didn't like it one bit…especially in front of his warrior family.

Sookie realized her mistake and she closed her mind off to Eric. She tried to change her tactic from acting upon Eric to reacting to his moves, though this only had a marginal difference in their fight. She needed more strength. She needed to use her strengths; and the truth was that she was better with weapons than she was at hand to hand. But how could she distract Eric long enough to summon her weapons…?

She smiled happily to herself though she couldn't help but show it on the outside too. Eric cocked his head to the side as he fought her because he knew that she was up to something. He knew that she was going to adapt somehow and he was excited to see exactly how she would do it. If he were her he would cause a distraction somehow and call his weapons. Sookie is much better with weapons than she is with hand to hand. He wasn't worried about the sword but if she called her sais he would definitely have to concentrate.

He knew something was coming to buy her some time, what he didn't expect was to see a mental picture of Sookie buck naked and spread eagle on the hood of his corvette with him bent before her going to town on her delectable center.

Eric's mouth fell open and he was completely stunned and...excited to see such a thing, giving Sookie the opening she needed to land a roundhouse kick to Eric's gaping jaw. Eric flew ten feet to the side before landing in a heap on the ground. Everyone on the porch froze in complete shock at the scene before them. Eric gazed at Sookie in disbelief. Of all the mean, underhanded, sneaky things for her to use to distract him; Eric was both proud and surprised that she would go straight for his weakest link.

Sookie summoned her sword to her and it appeared in her awaiting hands as she heard more gasps erupt from their audience. In the next second Eric jumped to his feet and crouched again.

"Well played lover." Eric said as they turned in a circle. "You will pay for that later."

"Oh, no more Mr. Nice Viking?" Sookie asked in a patronizing tone.

"I've never been nice Sookie." Eric stated.

"Neither have I." Sookie replied and winked.

They locked in battle and their swords were moving so fast that even Chief Jarl has problems keeping up with their strikes. The keening of the swords as they ricocheted off of each other echoed all around them. Adele held her chest as she silently watched her granddaughter fight the six foot five inch vampire she was married to. Adele didn't really think that Eric would hurt her but accidents do happen. She tried to really focus on all that was going on because Sookie and Eric were moving so fast that she had a hard time seeing what they were actually doing.

Eric was having the time of his life. He was smiling brightly as he battled his bonded. Every so often he would strike her sword hard causing her go off balanced to the side and he would tap her on the butt or run his fingers through her hair before she was able to correct herself. He was very impressed with her, with every attack she learned and she adapted. She was soaking up his every move like a sponge and then throwing them back at him with her own twist. She reined in her anger and continued to block her mind as she drew off his strength and knowledge. She truly was a fighter.

Sookie was glad that Eric was taking their sparing more seriously. He seemed to have to focus a little more on the fight so that the taps and caresses became fewer and fewer…but they were still there. She held desperately to her hold over her anger as she intensified her attacks on him.

"Lover I am impressed. You are nearly as good as I am with your sword." Eric said to her.

"If you're able to talk so easily then I am not doing as well as I thought I was." Sookie quipped back.

"Well don't feel bad I am a master with the sword." He replied with a smirk. "I'm sure that when you are ready to fight me for real then I will have a much harder time speaking as we fight."

Sookie jumped away from Eric so that there was a good ten feet between them, "You can't be serious." She said holding on to her temper by the strings.

"Lover I haven't even broken a sweat yet." Eric replied wiping his forehead dramatically and then checking his hand for moisture.

"Eric you're a vampire, you don't sweat." Sookie seethed.

Eric smile grew patronizingly. She was so cute when was trying to be his equal on the battle field. She seemed to think that he had an equal in battle…how precious. Since she was blocking him he voiced those exact words. Sookie growled at him, honest to goodness growled at him. It was fiercer than anything he had ever heard in the wild in his thousand years…and it made him instantly and almost painfully hard for her. He would find no one other than Sookie on this planet that even had a chance of beating him in a fight and he wanted her. He wanted to conquer her he wanted to dominate her he wanted her to submit to him over and over and over and over and over again. His body twitched at that particular thought and he thought that it was a good thing she couldn't hear his mind because she had no idea what was in store for her.

Eric quickly reined himself in so that he could play this game a little longer so that he could have her exactly how he wanted her. "And you have not given me one reason to even pretend." He lied.

Sookie stood straight up. Her anger was getting the best of her and her eyes flashed silver before returning back to normal.

"Ah, ah, ah Sookie; temper, temper." Eric said shaking his head. "You really need to get a hold of that."

"I'd rather get a hold of you." Sookie growled.

"All in good time Sookie but you really should focus and keep your mind out of the gutter." Eric said as he all but preened before her. "Especially with our families watching…or have you become a dirtier girl than I imagined?"

Sookie growled again and Eric almost came right there. "I promise that I will touch you before you lay a hand on me and it won't be anything nice."

Eric's body jolted again at her words. She was bringing out a side of him that he thought he would have to keep locked away while with her…or at the very least let out extremely slowly. He liked this fighting idea more than he thought he would, and by the way Sookie smirked while taking in his erect body she knew it too. No matter, if he was nothing else he was a creature of control and he wouldn't let anything change that though Sookie was pushing him to his limits.

"Is my little southern belle going to fight hard now?" Eric said with a smile.

"Bite me Viking boy." Sookie replied.

"All in due time." Eric leered. "All in due time."

Sookie launched herself at him. Using every skill she knew and every trick she had learned. Eric was concentrating hard but he was not the least bit concerned. There was something familiar about her attack. They had done this dance before. This surprised Eric because Sookie had been changing things up on him and now she was doing a dance that they had done before. He lifted his hand a fraction of a second before she kicked and he caught her ankle easily.

"You're up to something Lover." He said as he threw her back a few feet.

Sookie just smiled and attacked him again. She was definitely up to something because she fell right back into the same dance and he knew her well enough to know that this was no accident. He threw a few punches and kicks to trip her up but she just blocked them and kept her already known pattern. She was definitely up to something.

Eric went on the offensive, but then her defensive moves became predictable. She was trying to draw him in. She was looking for an opening, hoping that the pattern would create it without Eric's realizing it. Eric smiled to himself as he mentally applauded her efforts because it would have worked on anyone…besides him.

"I know what you're doing Sookie." He taunted as he fell into her dance. Just by doing so he was physically contradicting his words, the way she hoped he would. She fell for it. "But you must know something Lover."

"Oh yeah?" Sookie answered a little breathily as she prepared to make her move.

"Yes. I. Always. Win!" He said punctuating every word with a punch he thought she would easily dodge according to their pattern.

But Sookie moved to make her move and where she would have stepped back to create a birth for her leg to kick at Eric, she moved in to take away his aim of punch. Eric's fist reacted instinctively and caught Sookie squarely in the chest.

As Eric's fist made contact with Sookie's sternum he saw her eyes widen in surprise. The air made a loud whooshing sound as it hastily exited her lungs. Her mouth formed a perfect 'O' as her body involuntarily flew more than thirty feet away from him. The cries from the porch seemed all jumbled and he didn't know who was saying what. He didn't need to look at them to see the horror upon their faces. He was already racing toward her as her body began to descend rapidly towards the ground.

Sookie didn't even feel the force behind Eric's punch though she knew it landed on her chest. In an instant all the playful determination left his eyes only to be replaced with horror and anger. She knew that she had barely moved away from him when she saw him already moving towards her. Her body had a different reaction though. The bond involuntarily opened and the energy of the bond rocketed through her body. She felt herself transform and for the first time realized the subtleness to it. It wasn't some big terrifying change but a soft whisper that caressed her skin. She knew that if she reached up she would feel her pointed ears.

Sookie's vision tinted silver and she could now see the surprise playing upon Eric's face as he continued to race towards her. The shouts of surprise from the porch came in clearer, in fact all the sound came back to the situation. She twisted her body so that she would do a back flip in the air and she landed on her feet.

"Damn it, I can't believe you won!" Sookie exclaimed as she began to pout. Yes she was too old to be pouting but damn it she had a plan, and damn it if Eric was still faster than her. DAMN IT!

The next moment Eric entered her enclosure and had her wrapped in his arms. He held her tightly to his body.

"Sookie are you okay?" He asked her frantically? "I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to hit you like that."

"I'm fine Eric." Sookie said. "The only thing hurt is my pride."

"What are you talking about?" He asked as he looked at her chest to examine the place where his fist made contact with her. "Are you sure that you're okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine Eric." Sookie assured him as she pushed him away. "Damn it all if I can't seem to find my way around you."

Eric laughed, finally relieved though he kept eyeing her sternum to make sure.

"Why is it so important to you Sookie? You didn't get so mad and frustrated when we fought at the banquet."

"That's because I wasn't fighting you." Sookie said. She opened her mind back to him because she could feel through the bond that he was still worried about her even though he knew she couldn't be hurt. "You are the best Eric and that's my goal, to be the best…or at least to deserve to rightfully stand next to the best."

Eric looked deeply into her eyes and listened to her mind to see how she regarded him in comparison with others. "Sookie, no one deserves to stand by my side more than you. You rightfully belong there both on and off of the battle field."

Sookie smiled and then kissed him; Eric returned her kisses enthusiastically causing Sookie to moan into his mouth. Eric was instantly hard again. Sookie chuckled and pulled back.

"So how about round two?" Sookie asked.

"Round two?" Eric asked in disbelief.

Sookie sheathed her sword onto her back and then bent down and took the sais from their holsters. "Round two."

Eric smiled. "You're on but I think I should say something to them."

Sookie looked over to the porch to see every expression from surprise (from Chief Jarl, Leif and Pam), to absolute horror and confusion (from Aesa, Gran, Patsy, and Lee). It took all of Sookie's will power to keep a straight face as she took them all in.

Eric pulled her towards them a few feet though they were still well away from their audience. Eric's loud voice boomed out to them and Sookie could see Pam translating his words to his family.

"Sookie is fine." He said. "What you are seeing is a part of what we told you about earlier. We are blessed."

"Sookie darling, is that really you child?" Adele called to them.

"Yes Gran, it's me and I am perfectly fine." Sookie called back.

Jarl spoke and Eric replied. Then Eric let go of Sookie and stepped out of her enclosure. He ripped open the bond on his side and let the energy flood through him too. Eric's enclosure burst forward shining a brilliant golden color. Jarl spoke again and Leif nodded enthusiastically but Eric shook his head when he replied.

'_He wanted to know if he could come closer and inspect our enclosures but I told him not right now. Even here in our sanctuary I would not want to risk hurting him…perhaps when we have more control.'_

Sookie understood. They aren't real but that doesn't mean that she or Eric would ever want to hurt one of them, even if it could be fixed within a blink of an eye. They were who Sookie and Eric loved most and even to cause a brief amount of pain, whether on purpose or accidental, would be completely horrible. Sookie agreed with him wholeheartedly.

Something flashed to the left of the house and Sookie and Eric looked over to see what caused it because neither of them summoned anything. Niall appeared to the side of the house and smiled at Sookie. Sookie beamed back and held her hand out to her great grandfather, an invitation. He winked at her but shook his head; apparently he wanted to stay where he was. Niall nodded to Eric who returned the greeting. Everyone on the porch looked to see who they were greeting but Niall was not it their line of site.

Aesa spoke softly this time but both Eric and Sookie could pick up her words. "Sookie, she wants to know if there's any way for us to let them see us better." Eric translated for her. "Pull in your shield so that they can see what we look like."

They both concentrated as they drew their energies into their bodies. They could feel the power filling them up and their eyes and hair glowed even brighter than before. The energy was so filling that it even pushed them off the ground making them hover two inches from the ground.

Sookie was nervous for their reactions but one mattered more than the others. Gran had a tear in her eye and when they made eye contact she smiled. "You are absolutely beautiful." She said to Sookie.

Niall stiffened at the sound of her voice and peeked around the corner to see Adele for himself; this didn't escape either Eric or Sookie and they made a mental note to ask about that later.

"Thank you Gran." Sookie replied with love dripping from every word. Sookie held no one higher than Gran and having her accept her even here just made Sookie's heart soar.

Sookie's mom and dad looked completely shocked, but it was her father that spoke first. "You are an angel." He said in an awed voice and Patsy nodded her head in agreement.

Sookie smiled brightly at them. "You have no idea dad."

"Come Sookie." Eric said as he took her hand again. "Let's get going. The sooner we start the sooner we will finish. I feel the sunset approaching."

Sookie nodded as his hand closed around hers and they flew further into the yard. "Since we don't have a lot of time promise that you will fight honestly."

"I always fight honestly." Eric pointed out.

"Yes but I mean that you fight for real no playing." Sookie replied. Eric nodded and she continued. "We will go to first touch?"

"Yes," Eric said. "First to touch the other with their blade will be the winner."

"Right."

"Are you sure about this Sookie?" Eric asked once more as they parted and took their positions about five feet away from each other.

"Positive Eric." Sookie smiled. "You're not going to know what hit you."

"We'll see Lover, we'll see." Eric smiled as once again he prepared for his favorite game.

Sookie once again removed the sais from their holsters on her legs and the practically hummed with anticipation.

Eric removed his sword from his back and it pulsed in his hand for the real competition, it was practically singing in his hands.

They took their stances, Sookie with a smirk and Eric with a wink, and for the second time they attacked.

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A/N: Alright everyone it's time to choose your champion. Eric is the obvious choice but will he truly come out on top or will my twisted little mind allow Sookie to pull the upset of the century? You never know. When you review let me know if you will be on Eric's side, Sookie's side, or will there be a draw or some unforeseen event that interrupts them. Let me know what you think when you review and I will send you a sneak peak into the next chapter. Thanks again everyone.

Also I know that Gran cooked Sookie's favorite and also Swedish food (for Eric's family) in a short period of time. Please just remember that this is the dream realm. Technically she's not even cooking, she's just doing what the real Gran would have. Also I should say that these are not the souls or anything like that of Sookie and Eric's family, they are just imprints that were created by Sookie and Eric to simulate their family. The only things they know is what Sookie and Eric believes they knew. They are straight out of Eric and Sookie's imagination. Thanks again and I can't wait to read your reviews.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: First I would like to thank everyone who reviewed and voted. First place went to Sookie (no surprise). Second pace went to Eric. Third went to Eric and Sookie drawing, and fourth went to there being something that interrupts them. Read on to see if the one you voted for survived and at the end I will make another note as to why I chose the way I did.

I would also like to say that this chapter is for you Susan because I was finally able to include your favorite scene. I'm glad that you liked the way it came out.

Please enjoy.

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Chapter 19

Eric and Sookie lunged at each other with the same exact moment. Sookie blocked Eric's sword and began her own attack. She moved like liquid with her sais, Eric couldn't tell if Sookie was leading the sais or if the sais were leading Sookie. Sookie felt the hum of her weapons and listened to their directions, to their instincts, they seemed to be like a living part of her.

Eric and his sword were like lightening to Sookie. She could tell that he didn't need to depend on his weapons as much as she did but through his mind she could hear the same instinctive pulls that she had with her sais.

Eric was catching and countering every attack that Sookie put out. He was very proud though he had to put that on the back burners because there was no way he was going to lose to her. He loved her very much but losing to Sookie; that's just not happening. She took advantage of every opening, though he didn't leave many, and not only used her weapons but her body to fight him. She lunged at him with her sais but he caught her with his sword and blocked her.

She spun around with the force of his deflection and kicked her leg up for a round house kick that missed his chin by less than an inch. She was faster than anyone he had ever met and the way her mind was soaking up his moves during the fight and then throwing them back at him was better than anything he had ever seen. Even Pam, who was gifted with a great fighting ability, had not been so adept.

The keening of their weapons as they fought so hard ricocheted so much that it became a constant noise instead of multiple sounds blending together. Their dance sped up. Neither assumed anything about the other. There was no way for their families to see exactly what was going on. Sookie got a mental picture of their fight and it was just silver and gold clashing with each other, one knocking the other back until they clashed again with one another.

Eric swung his sword at Sookie who bent backwards to avoid the blade but when she stood back up Eric caught her with a blow to her abdomen. Sookie flew backward and landed in a crouch again. Her chest was heaving and Eric was looking cautiously pleased with himself.

Sookie threw her hand out towards him and silver lighting lashed out directly towards Eric's head. Eric bent backwards to avoid it and then smiled devilishly at her. Sookie was instantly chagrinned. She wasn't aiming for his head but his abdomen, and by the way he looked now she thought that she had just created a monster.

She was correct because in the next second lightning bolt after lightning bolt was flying at Sookie forcing her to flip this way and that to avoid them. Their family ooh-ed and ahh-ed at the light show before them. One strike of golden lightening came directly at Sookie's head but instead of flipping out of the way Sookie swung her sais at it like a tennis racket and hit it right back at Eric. It hit him directly in the chest but had no effect on him. Sookie used that second to jump at Eric and once again they were locked in hand to hand.

Sookie was in awe of Eric, for him to be so big and assuming he was just as limber and fluid as she. He brought his sword down on Sookie who crossed her blades to form an 'X' to catch his sword in and she sent him flying to the side with a great kick to his ribcage. Sookie threw silver lightning at him as he flew to the side, but even off balance Eric was able to use his sword to deflect them.

Eric landed in a crouch and then stood up straight with a smirk. "You are a better fighter than you give yourself credit for."

"Thanks, I learned from the best." Sookie replied.

"Are you sure you don't want to just go on and give in now and save yourself from losing in front of your family?" Eric said.

"That's funny." Sookie quipped back. "I was just about to ask you the same exact thing."

"You will lose Sookie." Eric purred.

"I don't know how Eric." Sookie replied softly. "Maybe once I've beaten you, you will be able to show me how."

Eric's dick jumped with anticipation. Fighter Sookie was getting the best of him and he held on even tighter to his sword so that he could focus. Sookie smiled when she felt his lust slam powerfully into her. Sookie closed her eyes so that she could enjoy it. Then she sent pictures to Eric of her taking his gracious plenty into her mouth while one hand gently massaged his balls. Eric groaned and his dick began to strain against his leather pants. She sent another picture of her being bent over the trunk of his corvette as he slammed in to her from behind. He was pulling her hair and she was crying out his name. The lust that shot out of Eric almost brought Sookie to her knees in ecstasy.

A low growl began to emanate from Eric's chest. It was more than just the pictures that was getting to him. It was the feelings that she sent along with him. What it felt like when he was buried in her mouth and when he came and when it shot down her throat. How delicious she thought he tasted. The way she was on cloud twelve when he was claiming her from behind. The sensations she gets when he's pulling on her hair or and slapping her ass.

She changed the picture to them floating in mid air, Eric laying between her legs and buried deep within her hot, dripping core. They are turning this way and that in the air as she begins to climax. Her muscles contract around his hard cock and begin to milk him as shudders ripple though her body. _'I love you Eric.'_ She purrs. _'It's all for you and only you my love.'_ Eric growls in ecstasy and bites her nipple and her blood shoots into his mouth as he empty's himself into her wet core.

Eric drops to his knees as the feelings and visions overtake him. His dick is pulsating in his pants, it wants to be freed it wants to make every single one of those visions into reality. Sookie moaned out loud as Eric returns the feelings that he has at each of those actions. Sookie almost forgets that they had an audience, who were now looking at them with confusion.

She's almost taken over as much as Eric is but there was a point for this. There was a reason that she was showing him all of this, one that she hoped was a good one because her body was now aching to be in his arms. She wanted to rip the sword out of his hands and replace it with her body. His sword…

That's right, they are in the middle of a fight. Sookie shakes the cobwebs from her head and jumps high into the air so that she would land over Eric, who was still kneeling on the ground. She sent another burst of lust at him as she began to descend towards him. But it was too late. Right before she landed he caught a glimpse of her thought and was able to raise his sword to block her sais from contact.

Eric pushed her back and got to his feet as he tried to push off the haze of lust and want out of the way so that he could fight. Now this was truly a sneaky and underhanded trick…and he couldn't be more proud of her. His dick leapt in agreement. They were now fighting in close contact and he pushed all of his desire, want, and frustration into his attacks. He was overwhelming Sookie but she was holding her own against him. He could tell that those visions had affected her just as much as him.

Something felt different now though, and they both could feel it. This was the end. Sookie began to counter all of his blows and doubled her own. It sounded like a thunder storm had descended upon the yard. Eric met Sookie's every attack head on and returned them with relish. He blocked not only her sais but her kicks too.

Their dance began to speed up faster and faster as they both tried to end the fight on their own terms. They were little more than blurs to everyone except Niall, who was watching with rapt attention. Sookie let her attention drift to Niall and in that second Eric hit her sais hard, knocking her a bit off balance and then aiming a kick to her ribcage.

Sookie caught his leg by the ankle and pushed it roughly away. Eric used the momentum to spin him around and he was able to land a kick to the other side of her ribcage, sending Sookie flying off to the side. This was where his discipline and hundreds upon hundreds of years of experience showed. He was able to better focus himself where Sookie was still taking in what was going on around them. It's a natural thing to do. Some fighters have a tendency to look at what's going on around them even when it has nothing to do with the fight at hand, especially when the fight was dragging on and on. It took focus to block everything else out. The only thing besides the fight that Eric focused on was unseen attacks.

Sookieflew about twelve feet to the side. She managed to plant one hand and did a one handed cartwheel so that she could land in a crouch, but Eric was already on her. Once again their weapons moved methodically against one another. Sookie refocused herself on Eric. Their moves sped up even faster. Eric was beginning to overwhelm Sookie but her stubbornness refused to let her back away from him.

And then Eric blocked Sookie's sais from striking his shoulder, the force of his block knocked her back a few steps. He swung his sword in one big horizontal motion and Sookie saw her chance. She too swung her one of her sais in a horizontal motion as she bent backwards to avoid his blade. She felt something graze her chest as she felt the tip of her sais find its mark.

They both stood straight up and crouched to attack each other once again. Eric smiled devilishly and nodded towards Sookie's chest and he stood straight up. Sookie stood up and saw her mark upon Eric's side. She smiled and nodded to his right side. Sookie touched her chest, and sure enough there was a long scratch above her breasts. Eric looked down to see that his white tunic was stained and ripped open, there was a thin cut about four inches there.

They heard Leif say something and then Pam yelled "Who won?"

Eric and Sookie looked at each other. They had both struck so swiftly that they had to replay the moment to see. They focused and replayed the last moments.

Though only Eric and Sookie could pick up his faint voice, Niall whispered, "Eric won."

In the next moment Eric smiled as he saw his sword make contact with Sookie's skin a millisecond before she made contact with his side.

Eric called out "I did!" at the same time Sookie exclaimed "Damn it!"

"Watch your language young lady." Gran admonished.

"Sorry." Sookie called back to her.

"You did very well Lover." Eric said as he beamed at her. "You have surpassed all of my expectations."

"Thank you." Sookie said. Eric's pride in her was almost overwhelming. "Maybe I will get you next time."

"You're on Lover." Eric said and then he bent to kiss her fiercely. All the lust and desire and frustration that was created between them before washed over them again.

Sookie pulled back from Eric abruptly. "We need to send them away."

They turned back to their family and Eric spoke. "We are so pleased to see you all again." He said. "We will get together again soon but for now it is goodbye."

They all waved to him and Sookieand then with a wave of his hand they were gone. Before he could turn back to her Sookie had bent and licked the blood away from his wound. Eric's chest rumbled appreciatively at the sensation of her tongue on her body. Though her wound was already closed he licked the blood from her chest. He moaned again in pleasure.

She was so intoxicating and all the feelings from before were intensified. His lips crashed down on hers roughly as he communicated all of his desire to her without words. Eric reached down to the bottom of Sookie's see through tunic and began to move it up.

Then they heard someone clear their throat, but Eric wasn't having this. His body could not take another interruption and he banished the sound. He lifted Sookie's red tunic over her head and tossed it and then ripped her matching bra from her body.

"Magnificent." He murmured as he took in her bare breasts. He pulled her close to him and reclaimed her lips.

Sookie moaned into his mouth as their tongues picked up on that familiar dance they did so often. She relented and let Eric's tongue into her mouth, as it explored she bit down but not hard enough to spill blood. Eric growled and pulled her impossibly closer to him. There was too much between them so without breaking their kiss Sookie stepped back and ripped Eric's tunic away and tossed it.

Eric jerked her body back to his and then lifted her up. She automatically wrapped her arms around his waist. He focused for a moment and then threw himself enthusiastically into kissing Sookie again. He walked forward until his shins hit something hard. He bent over and laid Sookie on a hard surface. She gasped at the sudden coolness on her back. She turned her head to the side to see that they were lying on Eric's red corvette.

"Didn't I see something about me eating your delectable pussy while you lay on my car?" Eric asked with a look of calculation in his eyes.

He ground against her and all Sookie could manage was a strangled groaning sound.

"Let's see what we can do about making that come true, shall we Lover?" Eric purred in her ear.

He licked her ear, causing Sookie to shiver lightly and Eric could feel her nipples harden against his chest. He began trailing open mouth kisses over her jaw line, making sure that he tasted her skin with each one. He really did love the way she tasted. He ground himself against her again and another moan escaped Sookie's mouth, though this time it was laced with his name. Just the sound of his name on her lips in that manner made Eric's dick twitch just for her.

He moved lower to Sookie's neck. He pressed his lips to her carotid artery and he let his lips linger. He loved how her blood pulsed right under his mouth. Eric inhaled deeply and savored her scent as it danced in his nose. It was concentrated with her arousal. He licked her neck and her breath hitched and then Eric gently scraped his fangs over her artery. Sookie began to pant and she turned her head further to the side, presenting her neck further for him to bite.

Eric's chest rumbled with appreciation as he continued his descent on her body. His kissed down her sternum, licking where his fist accidently hit her. He kept going, kissing between her peaks as his fingers swirled around her nipples, taunting and teasing them. He then enclosed the right nipple in his mouth as he used his hand to continue playing with the left.

Sookie arched her back pushing her nipple deeper into Eric's mouth. Eric seemed intent on sucking her entire breast in. He nipped at her nipple causing her to cry out at the enticing sensation.

"Oh Eric, yes, yes," she chanted as her hips bucked against his, causing them both to moan in pleasure. Eric however isn't one to be rushed; he thrust his hips into hers pinning her against the car. Sookie cries out again and Eric goes back to work on her taut nipple, switching from one to the other making sure both were bathed in his glory.

Slowly he moved further down her body, paying special attention to her naval. Sookie felt like her whole body was wired with electricity. Her silver hair billowed around her face as she tossed her head from one side to the other. Her breathing became more labored and her whole body jolted when he playfully nipped her hip bone.

"Mmm Eric, you're driving me crazy!" Sookie moaned.

"I'm just getting started Lover." Eric purred back. He stood up and Sookiegrowled at the loss of contact. Eric quirked an eyebrow but then preceded to relieve her of her tight red leather pants. Her body welcomed the sudden coolness of the car beneath her as she was left with nothing on except her spike heeled boots and her red lace thong with a studded 'E' on the front.

Eric's chest rumbled at the sight of her writhing on his car trying to cool her heated body. Eric knelt on his bumper and then ran his nose over the front of Sookie's lacy panties, inhaling deeply. He felt as if he were taking some kind of drug because the simple smell of an aroused Sookie was enough to make his head swim. He felt high. When he tasted her blood as he's buried to the hilt in her pulsating center, he thought that this must be the kind of high that drug addicts chase every time they use drugs. Unfortunately for them, nothing ever beats that first time. Fortunately for him, every time he's with Sookie it's better than the last time. Every time he thinks it can't get any better he sleeps with her again and it blows the last time out the water. She makes his entire being sing and dare he include…his soul. Sookie sings to his soul and his soul sings its harmony right back to her.

Sookie's hips were moving of their own accord. Whenever Eric was so close she seemed to lose all control over her bodies actions. Her body was addicted to him and it yearned for its next fix whenever he was close. He rubbed his lips forcefully over her center, teasing her. Her body reacted by bucking against him, it knew that its next high was so close and it would do anything to seek it out. Eric moaned deeply, letting it vibrate through his lips and onto her core; Sookie made a kind of breathless sound that made his dick twitch again in its leather restraints. He quickly discarded his boots and then his pants, they had become terribly uncomfortable…then again he always had that problem when Sookie was around, no matter what pants he had on.

With lightning speed Eric ripped Sookie's thong from her body and buried his tongue deep within her as he paid homage to his beloved angel. Some men needed tricks to get women off when they go down on them, spelling the alphabet forwards and backwards, or singing a song. Eric just told her pussy all it wanted to hear, why he loved her, why he couldn't get enough. He even demonstrated his words with his fingers as he used them to play his favorite instrument. Waveafter wave of pleasure crashed over Sookie sending her orgasms over and over and over again. By the forth one she was screaming out Eric's praises as she tried to get away from him, but Eric held her tightly. He wasn't done listening to his favorite song yet. Sookie's body answered every question he had. It spoke back to him as he told it everything he ever wanted to say and it thrummed with appreciation.

Eric brought her to another body trembling orgasm and before her body could stop shaking he grabbed her and they flew over the car. Sookie's legs were Jell-O but Eric supported her weight as he landed at the trunk of his corvette and bent her over onto it. Without a word he thrust himself deep into her.

"ERIC!" Sookie cried out. This made his dick twitch inside her. He was glad he left her heels on her because it gave just the right angle as he pulled out a little and then thrust all the way into Sookie.

"Ohhhh." Eric moaned as he paused a moment while fully seated in her pulsating center. Sookie moaned her pleasure as her body spontaneously contracted around his thick length. "Oh fuck Sookie!" Eric moaned. "You're so fucking tight."

"Mmm," Sookie purred. "And it's all for you Eric. All for my Viking."

Eric growled and grabbed Sookie's billowing silver hair. He pulled almost all the way out of her until the only his head was left, and then he rammed back into her over and over and over and over. Sookie screamed out with every thrust. Eric was driving into her with abandon and Sookiewas meeting his every thrust. She screamed out his name over and over as he pulled her hair and drove her still harder.

Sookie's body began to contract around him as he drove her to the cliff of a King Kong sized orgasm.

"Fuck Sookie!" Eric growled as he thrust deeper into Sookie and pulled on her hair even harder. He moved his free hand from her hip and wrapped it around her waist so that he could stroke her clitoris. Sookie's body jolted as he rubbed her in slow circles. He used his hold on her hair to pull her back on his dick as he met her body with a harsh thrust sending Sookie violently over the cliff to one of the best orgasms she's ever had.

Eric roared as Sookie's muscles clamped down on his pulsating length. He was desperately trying to hold on but Sookie roared out so savagely that his dick twitched one too many times and he came deep inside her. He let go of her hair as he lay over on her back, both of them trembling over and over again gently moving them upon each other.

After a few minutes Eric pulled out of Sookie making them both shudder a last time. She was still lying on his trunk so he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her back against his body. She leaned all her weight against him and her silver and his gold hair swirled and danced together as she laid her head against his right shoulder.

"Eric-Eric that was absolutely amazing." Sookie said as she began to bring her breath under control.

"That's what you do to me Lover." Eric purred. "Want to do it again? I believe we have a few more images to work out."

Sookie laughed. "Ah you're insatiable."

"And you love it." Eric replied as he ran his nose up and down her neck once, twice, three times.

Sookie flinched, she felt a sharp touch on her right arm. She reached up and grabbed her arm when she felt it on her right leg. "Ouch." She said as she reached down to rub the outside of her right thigh.

"What's wrong Sookie?" Eric asked as he covered her hand with his own.

"My arm and thigh hurts." She replied.

Eric hissed and then grabbed his right arm. Sookie turned to face him and they had the same thought at once. Something _outside_was hurting them. Eric and Sookie focused and searched around their bodies, someone was there.

"Master, Sookie? Please wake up." Pam's voice drifted through to their dream realm.

"Eric do you hear her?" Sookie asked Eric as she tried to concentrate on what she thought was Pam…the real Pam.

"Yes lover, I hear her too." Eric replied in concentration.

"It must be dusk, why haven't we awakened yet?" Sookie asked a little panicked.

Eric's mind was going a thousand miles a minute as he thought all the possibilities. "Gabriel." Eric finally said. "Remember when he was telling us about our gifts. He said that we needed to practice holding up our shields. He said that at first we will be tired when we powered down our shields."

"Oh no Eric, this means that we are vulnerable." Sookie said as she began to shake. "Someone could get us."

Eric hugged Sookie tightly. She was literally shaking in his arms. He pushed calm to her but that only helped marginally.

"We have Pam." He reminded her. "She will protect us. But we need to reach out to her so that she can hear us."

"Yea, okay." Sookie said and she took a deep breath so that she could be calm enough to concentrate. "Alright come on." They both focused on Pam.

'_Pam, we are here.' _Eric thought to her. _'Are you in trouble?'_

Pam flinched with surprise at hearing his voice in her head. "No but I have never awoken before you. Is something wrong?"

'_No we are just a little taxed from being powered up for so long but we are fine."_ Eric told her. _'You are going to have to move us. Put us both into my coffin. We will be scanning the outside to help you but you are on your own.' _Eric projected to Pam.

"What if someone attacks? You two are bound to be big targets." Pam asked. Her grip was firm on Eric's arm. "You have to wake up, it's not safe."

'_Pam we can't wake up. You are on your own.'_ Eric projected back. _'We trust you to keep us safe.'_

'_Call Stan and have him send an escort to help get us to the plane.' _Sookie projected. _'We will keep watch.'_

'_Keep Bill and yourself close to us. We will shield you if need be.'_ Eric added.

Eric and Sookie reached out as far as they could with their minds and scanned the entire building and the closest surrounding buildings; there was nothing out of the ordinary. Sookie relaxed slightly. She waved her hand at the sky before her and a large screen appeared with visions of the hotel room on it. By constantly scanning Pam's thoughts they were able to see what she saw. They watched as she went to her phone and called Stan.

"Texas." A man's voice answered the phone.

"This is Pamela Childs second of Eric Northman, I need to speak with King Stan."

"One moment and I will see if his majesty is available."

"Yes you do that." Pam snapped.

'_Shame shame Pam.'_Sookie teased. _'You should play nice with all the other children or you will never make any friends.'_

"Shut up Sookie." Pam replied rolling her eyes at their still forms.

Sookie giggled.

"This is Stan." A deep voice suddenly sounded on the phone.

'_Make sure it's him. Ask him when he first met me." _Eric said.

"There's a major problem your majesty. I need to verify who I am speaking with and I beg your pardon."

"Very well, go ahead." The voice replied.

"When did you first meet my master?" Pam asked.

"When I contracted Sookie Stackhouse and Bill Compton to investigate the disappearance of one in my house; your master was pretending to be a traveler by the name of Leif. He stayed at my compound."

'_That's good.' _Eric said. _'Tell him.'_

"I need your help." Pam said. "I need six of your most trusted and strongest vampires to meet me at our hotel. I request one of them to be Joseph."

"What's happened?" Stan demanded. "Where are Eric and Sookie?"

"That's what I need help with. They are still slumbering and they won't wake up. I can get them into Eric's coffin but I need your help to get them safely to your plane for the trip to Las Vegas."

"But why are they still asleep? As old as Eric is he should have risen long ago, what's wrong with them?" Stan said, his voice no longer hiding the alarm he felt.

"They are fine." Pam tried to soothe. "It's just that maintaining their power for so long that it's wiped them out. They can rise if it's an emergency but not anything short of that. I need your strongest and most loyal to help transport the coffins to your plane."

"Where is Bill?" Stan asked just as Pam was hoping he wouldn't.

'_Just tell him.'_Sookie sighed.

"Bill has been enclosed in his coffin until Sookie and Eric has a chance to speak with him. That means that I have three coffins to movewith no help. And I'm sure I don't need to tell you the prospective danger to them right now."

"Of course." Stan agreed. "I will send Joseph plus six to help you move them. I will meet you at the airport. Have you called Felipe back yet?"

"That is my next call sir, I wanted to secure help before I did anything else."

"Very well." Stan replied and then hung up the phone.

"Alright, one down and one to go." Pam said to no one in particular. She then dialed Felipe.

"De Castro's office this is Stephanie speaking."

"Stephanie, this is Pam calling for Sheriff Eric Northman to confirm his summons. We are leaving tonight and we should arrive in approximately three hours."

"Alright just a moment." Pam could hear typing and scribbling. "Okay, I will notify the king."

Pam didn't respond but just hung up the phone.

"Okay, that's done, I will be right back." Pam said as she disappeared from the room. Sookie and Eric watched as she ducked into their room and moved his coffin back to her room.

"I think that it's time for us to get dressed." Sookie said as she stepped away from Eric.

"Why? Pam has everything under control." Eric said as he sauntered closer to Sookie. "We have time to play…"

"You mean we have time to practice." Sookie corrected as she focused for a moment and their clothes reappeared their bodies.

Eric looked down at his clothed form and pouted. He actually pooched out his bottom lip and made sad puppy dog eyes. Sookie couldn't help but laugh and she doubted that anyone who saw a thousand year old bad ass vampire pout would be able to help but laugh also.

"Party pooper." Eric grumbled.

"Ah, ah, ah Eric. Work hard now, play harder later." Sookie laughed as she threw his own words back at him.

"Fine, what are we working on now lover?" Eric asked still less than jovial.

"I was thinking about the lightning strikes, because I was aiming for your stomach and instead almost hit you in the head." Sookie smiled sheepishly. "Sorry about that by the way."

Eric laughed. "It's okay Lover. I figured that it was something like that."

"So how do you want to do this?" Sookie asked.

"We need a practice dummy first." Eric said and then waved his hand and Victor appeared. "Okay, aim for his chest."

Sookie focused on Victor's chest and flicked her hand at him. She was way off. The lightning that flew from her hand struck Victor squarely in the balls. Eric burst into laughter as Victor fell to the ground and began to shake and clutch his nuts. Sookie was horrified but Eric's laughter kept her from taking it too seriously as she began to laugh herself.

"Okay, okay." Eric said as he gasped for breath and stood straight up again. He walked up behind Sookie and grabbed her wrist. He liked how her silver hair tickled his cheek but he dismissed it so that he could focus. "Okay, hold your arm straight out. Don't flourish your whole arm, just flick your wrist and we will see what happens."

Eric waved his hand at Victor and once again he was on his feet standing serenely before them. Eric was still holding her wrist when he said, "Okay try it now."

Once again a bolt of lightning shot out from the tip of her hand…striking Victor again straight in the nuts. Eric laughed. "Was that where you were aiming?"

"Yes," Sookiesaid as she smiled angelically. "It seems to give me a jolt of satisfaction."

Eric's laughter abruptly stopped and he eyed Sookie dubiously. Sookie's smile grew as she waved her free hand at Victor once again setting him on his feet, though this time he was frozen in place.

"Try hitting the same spot five times in a row." Eric said still eyeing Sookie wearily.

Sookieconcentrated on Victor's nuts and flicked her hand five times in rapid succession. Three times she hit her mark and twice she missed and hit his shoulder-though both of those were in the same place.

"Very good Sookie." Eric complimented. "When I was fighting at the banquet I found that while aim was important, so is your will. If you visualize where you want your strikes to go you should be able to will it to hit whatever mark you want…even if your aim is a little off."

"Okay so you're saying that I should aim but more than that I should will it to strike where I want it?" Sookie asked to make sure she was clear.

"Yes, I found that it helped me quite a bit." Eric said. "Think about if your opponent grabs someone on our side or someone innocent, you wouldn't want to leave it just to aim because you may or may not be off that night. We only want to hit who we mean to."

Eric waved his hand at the frozen Victor and Amelia was suddenly standing in front of him. Victor's fangs extended and her wrapped one arm around Amelia's waist and with his free hand he grabbed her by the throat. He ran his nose up and down her neck and breathed in deeply. "Mmm witch you smell good."

Amelia began to cry and tremble. "Pl-please help me Sookie." She cried.

Sookie growled and without even moving her hand lightning flew from Sookie and struck Victor's face. It knocked him completely away from Amelia who dropped to the ground and began to sob.

"Stop." Eric said and Amelia stopped crying mid sob and Victor stopped writhing in pain clutching his face. "Exactly what was that Lover?" Eric asked.

"Uh I don't know; I just couldn't stand that ugly face being on her." Sookie looked down on the frozen Amelia and sighed. "Eric what are we going to do I really have a bad feeling about her. Neither Amelia nor Octavia would be gone for so long without checking in. I think that something has happened to them."

Sookie felt a pain in her elbow. She grabbed it but it was fine. She looked up at the big screen to see that Pam was placing her on top of Eric. Her elbow had accidentally hit the side of the coffin as Pam was moving her limbs around.

'_Hey Pam, easy on the goods.'_Sookie called with a small chuckle.

"Sorry Sookie." Pam said as she stood up to look over her and Eric to make sure that there was nothing peaking out. "Maybe Eric will kiss it to make it feel better when you both awake."

'_Pam I love the way you think.'_Sookie said.

"You have great taste." Pam said as she still looked down on their still forms. _'Sleep well.'_ She added but they didn't think that they were meant to hear that so they let it go.

'_Pam place us close to Bill's coffin.'_ Eric said. _'Prop the door open so that you won't have to leave our side. Stay by our feet so that if something happens we can protect you._

"Yes, Eric." Pam agreed and then began moving around the room at vampire speed so that she could make sure that everything was packed and that they would not be leaving anything behind.

"Are you ready to continue Sookie?" Eric asked. She nodded. Eric smiled at her and then waved his hands at Amelia and Victor, they disappeared and fifty men took their places. "Let's try some rapid fire, I mean it's not likely that our enemies will stand still for target practice."

"Bring it on." Sookie said looking at the menacing men before her. She crouched instinctively though she wouldn't actually be doing any fighting…well not technically.

"Attack!" Eric roared and all fifty men launched themselves at Sookie at once. Sookie tried to remember everything Eric said. She not only aimed but actually willed where her lightning struck.

Sookie was absolutely lethal once Eric showed her what to do. She absorbed it and made it her own like everything else she learned from Eric. She was even able to take out multiples with accuracy. Eric stepped away from her so that he wouldn't be a distraction. One of the attackers slyly moved around the group and was about to attack Sookie from behind but as he was about to land on her a bolt of lightning lashed out at him and caught him in the chest.

Eric was amazed he didn't even see an indication that Sookie had noticed the attacker or what she did to him. This was becoming second nature with her like with all the other things that she learned from him.

Sookie was finishing on the last ten when the silence of the air was broken.

"SOOKIE!" A loud voice screamed in the air. It was horrible and yet easily recognizable. Sookie was shocked and one of the attackers got close enough to swing at her but she instinctively ducked and caught him with a backhand.

"Stop!" She commanded and everyone froze, everyone except Eric who instantly appeared at her side.

They looked up at the screen but Pam was fine, she was still moving about the room, packing Sookie's dress from the looks of it.

"Sookie please hear me! Please God let this be working." The voice sounded off again. Sookie gasped and Eric wrapped his arm around her.

"Amelia?" Sookie called. Eric once again pushed his mind out as far as he could to see if he could detect the witch anywhere, but she was nowhere around.

"Sookie you can hear me!" Amelia exclaimed.

"Yes, what's going on?" Sookie yelled.

"Killer…killer you have to watch out!" Amelia warned. "He got us! Don't trust him, he's coming for you. It's a trap."

"Who he?" Eric asked. "Where are you?"

"I don't know, we were over powered."

"Can you tell us anything that can help us find you?" Eric asked.

"Shit I don't know!" Amelia yelled though her voice was growing distinctly weaker. "They are drawing off our power. I heard a name before they locked me in here. Don't trust anyone named D-Shit! Someone's coming. I gotta go. Please find us!" And then it went quiet.

"Amelia!" Sookie called but there was no answer. "Amelia!" She called again but there was still nothing. "AMELIAAAAA!" Sookie screamed and her knees gave way and she fell to the ground.

Eric knelt beside her and wrapped her in his arms while he scanned as far around as he could he caught something, it just wasn't Amelia.

"_Pam!"_ Eric called. _"There are twelve coming up the stair way all vampires.'_

Pam knew by the way that Eric was talking that it wasn't anyone from Stan's group. She pulled out her phone and dialed Joseph. He answered on the first ring. "Velasquez."

"This is Pam I am about to be under attack by twelve vampires, how long until you get here?" she spoke urgently.

"We are at the service entrance now." He responded.

Pam heard as the vampires slammed open the stairway doorway. "They are already here!" She yelled and then tossed the phone to the side without bothering to hang it up. She crouched between Bill and Eric's coffins and she growled menacing.

Eric concentrated on letting his energy flow through the coffins and Pam. He let his energy concentrate within himself and then he heard several unfamiliar growls emanate all around the room. The sounds instantly enraged Eric and his shield exploded out of him and passed through his coffin, and Bill's coffin, and Pam's coffin, and Pam. She jerked at the sensation of Eric's shield passing through her.

She looked up to see a vampire lunge at her only to be disintegrated as soon as he came into contact with the golden enclosure. Pam felt overwhelmed. She felt as if she was bathing in the essence of Eric. She could feel his passion, and his life coursing all around her. She could even feel Sookie, but at the moment the one thing that was surrounding her the most was Eric's rage. She thought that she had felt the extent of his rage over the centuries, but she had never felt anything like this before.

The eleven other vamps stayed clear of the golden enclosure but they didn't go away. In the next moment Joseph was there with five other. The fight was on. Two attacked Joseph but he made quick work of them. He stepped into the path of one and planted his foot in the vampire's chest and he flew back into what he recognized as Eric's enclosure. The second one put up a little better fight but he was still no match for Joseph, he cut his throat with a dagger he kept with him at all times and then that vampire too disappeared in the golden enclosure. Joseph turned and helped his comrades finish off the other vamps.

When it was all done Joseph and his men all stood with minimal damage. All signs of the attackers were eradicated.

'_Pam we have a problem.'_ Eric sent. _'We will explain later but for right now open my coffin; my sword should be there with me. Take it out and stick it into the floor closest to Joseph.'_

Pam did what Eric said as Joseph and the others watched her with confusion and fascination.

"Are you okay?" Joseph asked.

"We are fine." Pam answered.

"Why is the enclosure still up, is there still a threat here?"

"It is still up because Eric wishes for it to still be up." Pam replied. "It's here to protect us."

Pam began to step back towards the coffins. _'Have each one of them pick-up the sword Pam. If any of them mean us harm the sword will kill them, if they don't then they will be fine.'_

The enclosure followed Pam backwards until Eric's sword was outside of the enclosure. "Joseph please pick-up the sword and then pass it around to all of your cohorts please."

"Why?" Joseph asked. "What will it do to me? We don't have time for this Pam we have to get going."

"Their lives are in my hands." Pam replied coolly. "So the sooner you pick up the sword and pass it around the sooner we can get out of here."

She and Joseph regarded each other for a few moments but then he reached out and grabbed the sword. It was hot in his hand and he felt something overcome him. He tried to drop the sword but he couldn't open his fingers. There was a high pitch humming in his head and the sword vibrated in his hand. It felt like the weight of a thousand worlds, a thousand lifetimes, a thousand years weighed down on him. He wanted to scream but he couldn't. Just when he thought his head would explode it all washed away and the sword released him. It released him because there was no way that he could have released the sword. It seemed to have a life of its own, a force of its own and it granted him a release.

When the sword permitted he dropped the sword and it landed in the floor. It looked innocent as it waited for the next person to pick it up. One by one he watched as all of his comrades picked up the sword. He watched as surprise took their face and they were rendered immobile. He watched as they went rigid as gold swirled around them in a fine mist with electricity coursing through it. After it dissipated the others dropped to their knees, unable to keep on their feet like he did.

When it was all done they all stood facing Pam, who was still encased in the golden enclosure. "What the hell was that Pam."

The golden encasement dissipated and Pam stepped forward. She picked up the sword but it didn't seem to affect her the way it did them. She opened the coffin furthest to the left and placed the sword inside it. He was able to catch a glint of golden hair. That was Eric's coffin.

"We had to make sure." Pam answered simply. "Let's go, we haven't the time to waste."

Joseph motioned his men forth and two of them per coffin took all three coffins out of the room and to the major service elevator. Joseph helped Pam with all of the suitcases. They loaded the coffins into the back of a moving truck. One of Joseph's men was about to close the doors when Pam grabbed his hand.

"I don't think so. I go where they go." She said.

He looked at Joseph for direction. Joseph nodded and the guy let it go. Pam hopped into the back of the truck and sat on top of her own coffin. Joseph sighed and hopped in after her. Pam quirked her eyebrow at him in question.

"I go where you go." He said and then motion for his minion to close the doors. "May I?" He asked as he motioned to her coffin.

Pam nodded.

"So are you going to tell me what that was all about up there?"

"I don't know who they were and you left no one alive so now we cannot question them."

"Them I don't care about. I want to know what the hell was with that sword." Joseph said.

Pam didn't respond. It was not her place to speak about Eric's weapons, hell she didn't even know everything about them. She was a good child she just did as she was told and watched out for Eric's interests.

'_It's okay.'_ Eric said. _'A healthy dose of fear for the weapons I wield is a good thing.'_

Pam smiled; of course he would want them to be scared of his weapons. She also noticed that he sounded a little tired too. She hoped that his protecting her didn't weaken him further.

'_Don't worry about me; it will take way more than that to weaken me.' _He said. _'Besides, I would have been quite…unhappy if I would have had to wake up completely.'_

Pam smiled again. _'Thank you.'_

'_Ah, you've been hanging with Sookie too long. Don't tell me that you've gone soft on me.' _Eric teased.

'_Never.'_ She replied. _'I'm too much like you.'_

Joseph was eyeing her with a calculatingly as she had this internal monologue with her maker.

"The sword," She began. "That's Eric's sword." She said.

"I gathered that much." Joseph injected dryly.

"Do you want to hear this or not?" Pam snapped. Joseph rolled his eyes but motioned for her to continue. "He told me to place the sword in front of you and let each of you hold the sword. If you meant harm to my master or his bonded, the sword would've killed you on the spot. Seeing as how you all survived, he dropped his shield."

"You called us for help." Joseph said. "Does he think that my king and I are double dealing?"

Pam has been around long enough to know a loaded question when she heard one. If she said yes, that would cause the obvious scorn to begin and they really might try to turn on them. If she said no, she would seem like a liar because they had clearly been tested. So she said the only thing that she could.

"Eric asked it of me and I complied, that's it." Pam said. "You will have to ask him yourself his reasons."

"I just may do that." Joseph said.

"You don't have to wait." Pam pushed. "He can hear you just fine now."

Joseph regarded Pam carefully. Pam smiled angelically back at him. He really wanted to ask but he didn't want to be made the fool if Eric didn't respond. Though King Stan did say that the telepath was able to hear him at the battle. Could the same thing be true for the Viking?

'_It can be very true for the Viking.' _Eric answered in Joseph's mind.

Joseph jumped off of Pam's coffin, crouched with his back to the door and hissed at Eric's coffin. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what had happened and Pam acted accordingly. She jumped in front of Eric's coffin and crouched. A warning growl emanated from her chest as Pam prepared to face off with Joseph.

TBC

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A/N: So, Eric won. Yes I know that most of you wanted Sookie to win but this is Eric we are talking about. Fighting has been ingrained into his being since birth. As a human he was the best fighter and that was only enhanced when he became a vampire. He has had a thousand years to study hundreds upon hundreds of different fighting styles and for a long time that's all he looked forward too. At the same time I couldn't let him just blow Sookie out of the water. She's no longer the frail and helpless Sookiehe met. I was walking a fine line and I was going to give it to Sookie but I just couldn't justify it. She may win later down the line but not now.

I also wanted to make clear that when Eric banished the sound of someone clearing their throat he banished the one that made it...meaning Niall. I can't imagine it going over very well with the Prince but we shall see. Thanks again for all of the votes and please remember review review review.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear in ANY of the Charlaine Harris books, all the rest are MINE

A/N: I apologize for taking so long before posting. I am just trying to work out all the things that I know needs to happen in this story. I've said before that I only have a loose outline for this story and I have a few points that I know I have to include. Trying to do that in a way that keeps the story line from feeling forced or untrue to what the story was originally meant to be was not easy. I want to thank you for staying true and I hope that this brings a smile to your face because it did for me.

Enough of my rambling, please enjoy.

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Chapter 20

'_Don't make me roast you Joseph.' _Eric said. _'I would hate to cause strife in my relationship with King Stan all because you over-reacted…. _

Joseph jerked straight up and he thought _'Eric?'_ cautiously.

Pam stood from her crouch but stayed in front of Eric's coffin.

'_Eric, don't do that!'_ He yelled in his mind, and irritated growl escaping his lips.

'_Excuse me,'_ Eric replied dryly. _'Next time I will be sure to knock.'_

'_What the hell is your problem Northman? My king has already given you fealty; what's the deal with that fucking sword?'_ Joseph huffed.

Pam smiled at his irritation. She didn't hear the words that he was saying but that didn't matter because they were practically written on his face. She wasn't going to move any further away from Eric and Sookie than she had to so she sat on top of his coffin and folder her legs Indian style.

'_I do what I must to protect myself and those around me.' _Eric began. _'If that means asking you to grab a sword then that's what will be done. There is nothing that I wouldn't do to protect those who stand behind me.'_

'_Then I guess that this will be the end of this inquisition?'_ Joseph asked.

'_I have no fault with you.'_

'_Good because there's no way in Hell I'm picking that sword up again.'_

'_You will if you must.' _Eric replied._ 'But that's neither here nor there and we are almost at the airfield I can hear Stan.'_

"Fine." He muttered and propped himself against the side of the van. The sooner he could get away from Eric the better.

"You get used to it." Pam said with a smile.

"Not fucking likely." Joseph replied not even looking at her.

They were quiet the rest of the trip but Eric was correct, within minutes the door to the back of the truck was opened and the same vampires that had first loaded Eric, Sookie, and Bill were now taking them out and carrying them towards a private plane.

Pam supervised the loading of the three coffins and only boarded when the cargo hold was sealed. There was a seat reserved for her directly across from Stan.

"I trust all is well." He asked her.

"Yes," Pam replied with a charming smile. "Thank you again for your generosity."

"I assure you that it was nothing." Stan said with an equally charming smile. "Are we able to communicate with Eric and Sookie at the moment?"

"Yes, they are aware although Sookie seems to be preoccupied with something. Eric is very much conscious and responsive."

"Northman?" Stan said testing Pam's words.

'_I am here.'_ Eric responded inside his head. Stan froze for a few moments in surprise but that was his only reaction before he spoke again.

"Everyone has checked in." Stan said. "And everyone seems to be almost all the way in place. By the time we land, there should be no problems."

'_Good to know your majesty. I appreciate all you are doing for us.'_ Eric responded.

"You know me better than that Northman." Stan said. "I do this because it is the best thing to do for my kingdom. The fact that it helps take care of your problems too is just a bonus."

'_All the same, we both agree on what is necessary. As independent as we are we both need each other.'_

"Tell me more about your mission." Stan said thoughtfully. "You said that you are supposed to bind the magical community together and that you are supposed to be mediators and protectors."

'_Yes,' Eric said. 'All the gifts that Sookie and I have come into are the gifts we have received from The One God. We are His chosen ones to bind the magical community. The fact that, though I am not a king yet, I have very high standings and respect among vampires; Sookie has high standings among multiple magical creatures. When the weres reveal themselves, it's going to rain down hell on all of us. They need to be protected. Things are going to get harder on us for a while and we too need to be protected. It will be easier for us to survive and coexist if we can put the petty shit aside and watch each other's back.'_

Stan thought on Eric's words as they took off into the night sky. There were a few points that didn't escape him. "Does this mean we are declaring war on the humans?" He asked with a sarcastic laugh. He liked how Pam's eyes danced as he asked the question. He wondered if she was privy to their conversation.

_Eric's laughter reverberated through his mind. 'No, nothing like that. I mean we still have to eat and I for one refuse to drink that synthetic shit unless there's absolutely positively no other choice. It just means that there will be more structure given so that disputes and matters can be handled more effectively between the races. Who else would be better to get the best picture of multiple sides of whatever the issue than Sookie? She is someone that everyone accepts. Her honesty and loyalty are renowned through our world. Weres, vampires, fairies, and shifters happily line up to fight at her side. And let me make it plain for you. We have _much_ bigger problems going on right now than fucking Felipe.'_

"Like what?" Stan asked. He liked to have all sides of every situation…even if it was still down the line.

'_Like what do you know about the demon Lilith?'_ Eric asked.

"Not much but what I do know makes me think that we are royally fucked." Stan said honestly.

'_Exactly.' _Eric replied. _'We have allies that are just as strong if not stronger than Sookie and I who are working on the problem, but they have made it painfully clear that first thing first is that we need to take out Felipe. They are working on the reconnaissance for Lilith to give us time to complete our mission.'_

"Speaking of your mission, you said that you were not a king _yet_. Do you know something I do not?" Stan asked though he was already aware of the answer. He was not stupid. He knew that with Felipe dead that his kingdoms would be up for grabs. He knew enough about Northman to know that he would not pass that up, especially with this new found power of his. In what kind of kingdom can he live under when a sheriff is more powerful than the king? How can a king or queen effectively run their kingdom when the very presence of Eric and Sookie would undermine their authority?

'_Exactly.'_ Eric replied to Stan's thoughts. Stan nodded and Eric continued. _'You know as well as I do that there is no other way.'_

Stan didn't speak again. He agreed with him and he sat there in quiet contemplation.

'_I must go.'_ Eric said. _'Sookie and I will continue to rest throughout the flight. If we are needed then you can just call to us and we will hear you.'_

"That's fine Northman." Stan replied before he returned to his contemplation of all that Eric had said. He was especially worried about Lilith. He had never met her but he knew her reputation and what he knew was nothing nice in the least.

The silver tears that flowed freely down Sookie's cheeks began to slow as Eric continued to rub her back. He had stayed there with her on the ground and wrapped in his arms as she cried out the hopelessness and helplessness that she felt over not being able to find Amelia. She finally wiped the last of them away as Eric wrapped up his conversation with Stan. She didn't care about what they were talking about. All she cared about at this moment was the fact that Amelia had reached out to her.

She took a deep breath. She was no longer the helpless Sookie she used to be. She was strong, and she was powerful and she would use every ability that she had to find Amelia. She only heard Amelia's voice; she didn't see any pictures or anything else. So maybe Amelia used some kind of magic to reach out to Sookie. She didn't know what she was going to do but she had to do something. Amelia had reached out to her with her mind. Sookie thought it natural to use her mind to try and find Amelia.

They were several thousand feet in the air so it wouldn't do any good for her to stretch her mind out around them because there was no one around to listen to other than the other occupants of the plane. So Sookie opened her mind and pushed it downward onto the earth. It was a great distance but Sookie used every ounce of strength in her body to push her mind where she wanted it to go because she only needed one person if this worked how she hoped it would.

Eric focused completely on Sookie now, there were some things that they needed to discuss but right now he knew that the right thing was to help her do this…whatever _this _was that they were doing. He tightened his arms around her body and pushed all his strength into her to help her reach her goal.

Together their minds reached the earth and they were suddenly in the mind of a mother who was yelling at her teenaged son for coming home so late. He was in his room with the music cranked up trying to tune her out. The shock that they were successful at reaching so far excited them both and they began to web out from the yelling woman to her son, from her son to the neighbors that were watching TV. From there they branched out into the yard where a man was jogging with his dog like he does every night in the dead of night so he could have solitude.

This was taking a toll on both Eric and Sookie but they kept pushing and their shields exploded around them to accommodate their wishes. They branched out, jumping from mind to mind to mind. Eric went one direction as Sookie went the other so that they could pick up more and more. To them it sounded like they were in a sold out NFL arena with screaming fans everywhere though in the entire arena, there still was no sign of Amelia.

They continued to push out on the earth below them entering in more and more minds. They easily overtook Texas and then New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Utah, Arizona, and Wyoming creating a giant net of minds. Eric was sweeping into California and Nevada when his mind came across something strange.

'_She seems so wholesome but what a filthy mouth that one has.' _Eric saw a picture of a bloody Amelia with chains around her wrists. She was lying on the ground appearing to be asleep. Eric squeezed Sookie's arms to get her attention and then they were both focusing in on the man together.

He was walking to what looked like the base of a mountain but he wasn't really concentrating on his surroundings so they weren't able to get a clear view of all he saw. He mind was still set on Amelia. _'I would love to be the one to teach her some manners. She's so soft, so pretty. I hope Lilith doesn't hurt her too badly. I wonder how she could smell magic. I mean come on she supposed to be a witch right? So shouldn't she always smell like magic?'_ He went off thinking on that tangent again when he came within range of another mind.

It was a guard. He was watching Amelia sleep. Amelia was there and she was dreaming.

'_Amelia?' _Sookie thought at her and Amelia started out of her dream and looked around her. She saw nothing but the guard still there so she thought hearing Sookie was apart of her dream. She laid back down and closed her eyes.

'_Amelia it's Sookie.' _She spoke again. _'Don't move; keep pretending that you are going back to sleep.'_

'_Sookie how are you doing this? I practically drained myself trying to reach you.'_

'_That's okay, and this is a long story; but Eric and I can hear you. You're somewhere in California but we need you to tell us something to help narrow down your location.'_

'_I don't know anything.' _Amelia lamented. _'I never saw anything and I don't even know if Octavia is okay.'_

'_It's okay Amelia, Eric is scanning the minds around trying to find out more, but no one is thinking about your location. Are you hurt badly? I saw from the guards mind that you are bloody and a real mess.'_

'_Gee thanks Sookie, I didn't realize that I had to be runway ready when I got kidnapped.' _Amelia thought dryly.

'_You know what I mean.' _Sookie said trying to soothe. _'How badly are you hurt?'_

'_Not bad.' _She replied. _'That bitch, whoever she is, could smell the magic I used to contact you and she beat me until I told her who I was talking to but I wouldn't. The next thing I know I'm talking to you…I'm not hallucinating am I? She didn't give me a concussion?'_

'_You're not hallucinating, I'm really here.'_Sookie laughed shakily. 'Don't worry Amelia, I will get you out. Just hold on and we will come for you.'

Sookie could hear Amelia begin to respond when all of a sudden she was jerked from her mind. She wasn't sure where she was now but where ever it was Eric was there too. They tried to branch back out into the minds that they knew were there but they could no longer feel any of them anymore. Where ever their minds were taken, it was dark and cold and creepy and…just plain scary.

Sookie was reminded of the first time she had ever slipped into a vampire's mind. It was Eric's mind to be exact and it felt like being in a pit of snakes.

'_Hey!'_ Eric thought indignantly.

'_Sorry sweetie.'_Sookie replied as she tried to suppress her laughter, because this was really no laughing matter.

As horrible as she thought it was to be inside Eric's mind that first time, this was a thousand times worse. This place felt like eternal darkness and bleakness and cruelty all rolled up into a big vat of crazy and evil.

'_Gee thanks.'_ A high cold voice sounded. It was a woman's voice but it was raining sarcasm. _'Well, well, well if it isn't the great Viking and his famous bitch. Welcome to my humble abode.'_

'_What is this place?' Sookie thought. _

'_Who gave you permission to speak to me?'_ The voice said suddenly sharp. 'You are not fit to kiss my ass, let alone address me you vile fucking human.'

Eric's mind roared at the cold voice. _'Don't you ever fucking talk to her like that again or I will rip your throat out!'_

The voice just laughed at Eric's threat. _'Dear Viking you are just barely a step up from your bitch. But that's good because it makes you fit to kiss my ass…and I will see that you will.'_

'_Fuck off you insipid cunt.' _Eric hissed. _'And if you know what's good for you then you will release my witches before I find you. I will still kill you but it just may make your tortuous death a bit quicker.'_

'_Don't threaten me vampire!' _The voice roared loudly. A shiver rippled involuntarily down Sookie's back and Eric held her tighter. _'I am something you can't even comprehend. They are _my_ witches now and in fact I think I will go and play with my new toys. Don't worry though. I will be sure to let them know that it's all for you.'_

'_NO!' _Sookie shouted but she already felt as if she was being sucked away. _'You fucking bitch you stay away from my friends!'_

'_I hope you told her goodbye because this little trick of yours won't work again.'_ The voice replied with venom, and then began a singsong as she continued. _'For now the witch will make do, until I come for you…'_

Then with a great jolt something heavy pushed against their minds and then they were back in their dream realm. Eric roared in frustration.

"I am going to fucking rip her to pieces!" He stormed. "Michael, get down here NOW!"

"Don't yell at him Eric he didn't do anything!" Sookie said as a blinding light appeared before them.

With a great boom and a rush of power Michael stood facing them. "What's happened?" He demanded. Apparently he wasn't didn't look very happy about being summoned the way that he was.

"That fucking bitch, that's what!" Eric yelled at him.

"Eric, stop it!" Sookie admonished. Eric looked at her, still seething, and then threw his hands in the air and stomped off towards the house."

"Sera, what's wrong with him?" Michael asked as he watched Eric disappear inside.

"We were having a family dinner, and everything was fine. We even got to fight and everything was fine, really." Sookie began. Michael just looked at her and waited for her to continue. "But then Amelia's voice came out of nowhere."

"WHAT!" Michael thundered.

Sookie jumped a little at his tone and then quickly hurried through all Amelia had said and then through their search for her. Michael growled harshly. Suddenly Sookie felt like a little girl about to be scolded by her father and she began to wring her hands in front of her.

Rage washed off of Michael in great waves and Sookie wanted nothing more than to get away from Michael but she knew better than to try and banish him from this realm. Michael paced before her as he processed everything but he didn't grow calmer, just more upset. Then abruptly he took a step towards Sookie, who took a step back. Seeing her so nervous and weary of him seemed to bring Michael back to himself.

"Sera, do not fear me. I will never hurt you my sister." He said in what he hoped was a soothing tone. It somewhat worked because Sookie visibly relaxed in front of him but she could still see how upset he was.

"I would like to see for myself all that you saw." Michael said and took another step closer to Sookie closing the space between them. "Just relax and remember what happened and I will see what you saw."

Sookie nodded and Michael placed his hands on either side of her head. He closed his eyes and waited for Sookie to gather her thoughts. She took a deep breath and once again went through all the images. They saw the mother yelling at her sons booming door, a runner in the dead of night, a homeless man being mugged, and a thousand of other images that Sookie and Eric saw as they netted through multiple states. Then they saw the guy at what looked like the base of the mountain and then other guards. They saw Amelia lying, not sleeping but unconscious, on the hard dirt ground. They went through the images she got out of Amelia's head as she tried to remember what was happening when she was taken.

Amelia had been so excited. They had been doing so great spells and chanting and she was having a blast. She went to bed with her mind swirling about all that they had went over that day when the ground began to shake and then a great black hole opened up on the wall opposite her bed. She jumped off of the bed but was frozen about what she should do. That was when Octavia walked into the room. When she turned to Octavia she felt arms wrap around her. Octavia was screaming but someone grabbed her too, and they disappeared into the darkness of the hole. The next thing that she knew she was in chains on the ground with no one around but a guard.

Her magical battery was drained because of all the magic she had been using on the retreat. She remember a spell that she wanted to try with Sookie when she got back because it was a spell of her own that was specifically designed to bring her mind to Sookie's so that they could communicate. She thought that it would be good to have because of all the trouble Sookie gets in. It took her all the time that she was missing to pool enough of her magic to try the spell. That's when she first communicated with Sookie. She had no idea what's happened to Octavia but after she cut communications with Sookie because she heard someone coming.

It was a woman but she couldn't get a clear picture of what she looked like. Somehow she felt the magic she used to contact Sookie and she beat Amelia over and over and over again trying to find out who Amelia contacted and what she said to whoever they are. Amelia never broke but she did lose consciousness. When she came to Sookie was in her mind.

Sookie showed Michael what it felt like when they were pulled from Amelia's mind and then their conversation with who she thought was Lilith. Michael's fingers tightened on the side of her head at the Lilith conversation but then they relaxed and he let his hands drop from Sookie's head.

He stepped back and Sookie jumped a little, though this time it was because she hadn't realized that Eric had rejoined them. Michael ignored them both and began to pace again. Then he stopped.

"Gabriel, Freyja!" Michael called and a moment later they appeared (less dramatically than Michael). They bowed their head slightly to Michael and waited for his instruction. Gabriel winked at Sookie who was still standing next to Eric behind Michael. She smiled in return.

Michael had a silent conversation with them and then they simultaneously placed their right fist to their left shoulder and bowed their head again before they disappeared.

"What's that about?" Eric asked now that he was more in control of himself. Sookie was bound to him but that included more than just her mind, body, heart, and spirit; it meant that everything that she cared for was bound to him also and in this case it meant Amelia and Octavia.

"We have been chasing Lilith around the world. She has cloaked herself so that she is able to hide in plain sight." Michael said seeming to be slightly frustrated. "Somehow she has managed to stay a step ahead of us. After looking through Sera's memory of what happened I recognized the mountain the guard was at. It's not actually in this plane."

"Sorry to interrupt." Sookie said as she shook her head at his words. "Did you just say another plane; as in another dimension?"

"Yes." He replied. "You have known beings from other dimensions and you know that fairies frequent many dimensions."

"Yeah, it's just…how are we supposed to get to another dimension?"

Michael smiled. "_You_won't Sera. I was thinking that we would ask Niall to help us; he's been very useful and extremely willing to help us already. It wouldn't raise any eyebrows for him to move through the different worlds."

"Niall?" Sookie asked slowly. It felt as if something was playing on the edges of her mind but she couldn't quite recall what it was, but then it suddenly struck her as she felt a tingle on the edge of her mind. "Niall!" She said horrified as she looked around Eric and Michael to see where he could possibly be hiding.

"What is it Sera?" Michael asked as he watched her pace over to the side of her home and then back to where he and Eric stood.

"He was here!" She said still quite horrified. She put her face in her hands as Eric and Michael looked on. Then she jerked her head up and looked at Eric. "He was here; remember?" She gestured to the side of the house where Niall stood to watch them fight each other.

"Yes he came and watched us fight." Eric said. "He called it when we were trying to figure out that I kicked your ass."

Sookie was about to snap at him for that comment, exactly as he intended, but she shut her mouth in a huff as she counted to five. She spoke slowly then. "What happened to him when we waved everyone else away?"

Eric regarded her for a moment as he slowly thought back to the earlier events. The great battle of Sookie (as he was going to start calling it for his own amusement), the mind blowing earth shattering sexing where he dominated her….

His eyes grew and Sookie could see them sparkle with amusement as he thought back. She could tell that he was remembering something she just couldn't hear what as his mind was abruptly closed to her. A slow smile spread across Eric's face and it wasn't so much a happy smile as it was one of deviousness.

Michael looked from one to the other and there was no doubt that Eric knew exactly what had happened to the Fairy Prince, but that whatever it was it caused him great amusement. He was not sure if this was a good or bad thing because as he looked in on Sera and Eric over the last years he noticed that his sister and her bonded sometimes had a twisted sense of humor. Whatever it was he wasn't feeling patient at the moment and he cleared his throat so that Eric could remember his presence and spit whatever it is out already.

Eric looked at Michael with dancing eyes and with a short laugh he began to explain. "After our fight Sookie and I wanted to…_celebrate_the results. We were kissing when there was a nagging interruption of someone clearing their throat. I wasn't about to stop for anyone or anything so I banished the sound and whatever it was that made it…" He trailed off as an evil grin spread across his face. He could tell that he wasn't about to say anymore and to be truthful nothing else needed to be said; he already knew what this meant and by the small gasp from Sookie, she had just figured it out.

"You banished Niall?" Sookie said completely horrified.

Eric's smile got impossibly wider. "He was interrupting us, besides no one invited him in the first place."

"Oh my goodness, Eric he's going to kill us."

Eric rolled his eyes. "Can you please not be so dramatic Sookie?"

"Easy for you to say, your husband didn't just banish your great grandfather from their dream realm so that he could have sex with his wife!" Sookie seethed.

"Amazing, sex with his hot wife." Eric corrected. Sookie groaned and threw her hands in the air and Eric noticed that Michael was looking as if he was trying not to laugh. "Oh come on Lover look at it like this, this is a sacred place and no one should be able to enter it without being summoned. Just because someone is able to move between dimensions and realms doesn't give them the right to intrude upon our sanctuary as they please." Sookie huffed again about to respond but Eric spoke over her. "Besides, if Niall knows how to get in and out of here of his own volition, then there may be others who could figure it out and they may mean us harm."

Sookie really hated when he used logic on her. No she didn't think that Niall would ever mean her harm but she couldn't allow Eric to be susceptible to anyone anywhere if she could help it. She was just as protective of him as he was of her…and besides, she really didn't want her great grandfather popping in and out as he wished. It may happen at an inopportune moment and she didn't think she could survive that embarrassment. She wondered what would have happened if Eric hadn't banished him when he did, she was certainly gone in the moment…

"I still don't want to face him." She muttered defeated.

"Well you must." Michael replied before Eric could make a snide comment that they all knew was coming. "We need him to do this for us. Summon him here; we are almost out of time."

Sookie nodded again in defeat. Michael could feel her nervousness and worry rolling off of her. He grabbed her hand at the same moment that Eric cupped her cheek in his large hand. "Do not worry Sera," He told her. "We are here with you."

"Besides I'm the one that banished him. It will be me that he is mad at." Eric said as if that would lesson her worry. It wouldn't.

Sookie nodded but stood there for a moment to get her bearings before she summoned what she knew would be an irate great grandfather. She felt a pulling on her mind. She shook her head a little but the pulling remained. "What is that?" she asked.

"I feel it too." Eric said in a confused voice.

Michael looked from Sookie to Eric. He was turning his head this way and that with his eyes closed as if he were trying to get a better signal. Michael dropped Sookie's hand from his and placed it on the free side of her face. He closed his eyes and he listened. "Someone is trying to summon you." He informed them.

They both looked at him and then looked in the big window in the sky. Instead of one screen showing only Pam's point of view it was broken into many smaller screen, one for ever point of view in the plane. A quick survey of the images told them that everyone was alright, but more importantly no one was calling them. Besides, this felt different. It wasn't like they were hearing their names being called like they had before, this was a tugging.

"Telepathically." Michael continued. "Someone is calling to you telepathically. Since you are here you should be able to see who it is on another screen like that one if you did not want to give them admittance to this realm; but I can tell you now that you will need to grant him admittance."

"Him?" Sookie asked. "Who is it? How can you tell?"

"It's Niall." He answered after closing his eyes and listening again as if making sure. "And I can tell because you are not guarding your mind against me and it's not hard to tell who it is. Everyone's minds have a signature as I'm sure you already know. You just need to make yourselves as sensitive to it here as you are when you are awake."

"Are you sure we have to speak with him right now?" Sookie checked with a pleading face to her friend, but his face was hard and disapproving and she knew that she had no choice. "Okay fine." She snapped at him and then called. "Niall, please come in." Just because she wasn't looking forward to this didn't mean she couldn't be polite.

The ground began trembling and the sun went dark. They all looked up to see that it was being blocked by the moon. Lightning began striking the ground as it moaned ominously beneath the three. The trees of the surrounding forest were uprooted as the wind picked up violently. Sookie moved into Eric's side and he slid his arm around her shoulders as she threw hers around his waist and held tightly. Michael placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

Trees were flying everywhere and the wind was roaring around them. The windows in the house began to explode and Eric could feel Sookie's heart beat pick up as her chest pressed into his side. She found comfort in the steady rhythm of his as he didn't let Niall's supposed bullying upset him, though it did upset him that he was scaring her.

A great big ball of purple energy fell from the sky and went right through the roof of their home. Sookie gasped in horror. Eric growled. Michael didn't react at all. Suddenly the house exploded in a great ball of fire. Glass, wood, appliances and furniture flew everywhere with a great boom and the earth opened up and swallowed the remaining debris and foundation. The force of the explosion hit Eric, Sookie and Michael hard knocking them back twenty feet. Eric and Michael both managed to land on their feet, and Sookie did only because Eric kept a firm hold on her.

The great ball of purple energy seemed to have grown. "You dare banish me!" Niall's voice roared over the howling winds and shaking earth as he slowly moved closer to them.

A tree uprooted and flew directly at their little group but just before it could hit them Michael grabbed it and threw it away.

"Niall stop this." Michael said.

Niall didn't reply to him he focused on Eric and Sookie as he let his full powers engulf him. He continued to slowly move forward. "You have the fucking audacity to banish me?" He continued to rage at them. "Do you know who the fuck you are messing with? I am a Prince and I will show you what that means!" Lightning struck down close to the trio and the earth gave a great lurch as Niall prepared to strike.

"Enough!" Eric bellowed as he shoved Sookie behind him. He let his enclosure explode from his body and circle all three of them, there were too many things flying around and Michael had already caught a tree before it could strike them.

Nothing changed. The earth kept shaking, the sun was still blocked and the wind was now uprooting the debris from the remnants of the house as well as the surrounding trees. Niall was pouring a great deal of his power into keeping it all going.

"I said fucking ENOUGH!" Eric roared. The earth gave one great jolt and stilled. The winds died and left everything that it had scooped into the air to freefall back to the earth. The moon disappeared from blocking the sun and once again they were all bathed in brilliant sunlight; but more importantly then all of that, the great purple haze of energy that surrounded Niall completely dissipated.

Niall stared at him with wide eyes. "You command me to do nothing Viking." He said. His voice was low and icy and deadly."

"Stop it, please." Sookie said as Michael continued to silently take in the spectacle before him.

Niall didn't even look at Sookie; he took another step forward and began to mumble words. Eric didn't know what type of force Niall was calling upon but he for damn sure wasn't going allow him to complete it. A golden lightning bolt flew out from Eric's enclosure. Niall smiled as Sookie gasped in horror.

When the lightning bolt reached him Niall changed the dialect of his speech and said a quick word before swinging his ever present cane like a baseball bat, knocking the lightning away from him. Unfortunately it also shattered his cane.

"You will pay for that Viking." He seethed and then he leapt toward them in a great bound.

Sookie had never seen her great grandfather so upset. He was no longer the beautiful creature that she had come to know but was contorted and disfigured by his rage. She acted on impulse and stepped in front of Eric.

"STOP." She commanded and her voice rang out all around them. Niall was frozen in mid air. Eric tried to grab her so that he could put her back behind him but she jerked away. "That means you too." She snapped at him. She turned to her great grandfather, who was struggling to release himself from the air, and she spoke in a quiet yet commanding tone. "You will not attack my husband."

"Listen to me child," Niall began but Sookie cut him off, speaking louder and harsher than before.

"You will _not_ harm my husband." She flicked her hand at him and he began to slowly come to the ground. Then she spoke to Eric. "You will not attack my great grandfather."

Eric didn't say anything. He just nodded because he knew when to push his wife and when not to.

When Niall touched down on the ground she waved her hand in his direction so that she could release him and so that he could move as he wished. "Calm yourself."

"You don't order me around; I am not one of your subjects or a fucking child. I am a prince." Niall snapped at her; still upset though he was already calming.

"This is my dream realm," Sookie said. "Things here are as I will them to be. So you can either calm yourself and be invited to stay or you can remain belligerent and be banished." Though she was quite calm she realized that she was sounding more and more like Eric and she wondered why. This was clearly not the time or the place to think on it so she redirected her attention to her family.

Slowly Niall's beautiful features returned to him and he was once again the great grandfather that she had come to know and though his eyes were still harsh and cold.

"I'm sorry that you were banished." She said to him but she could tell that he still wasn't happy. It could have been because it was her apologizing and not Eric, or it could have just been that he was not ready for the apology. Either way she already knew two things, one Eric would never apologize and two Niall would not let this go.

Niall gave a curt nod of his head to acknowledge her words but he continued to stand there in silence.

"I need your help." Sookie said deciding that they should just get down to business now.

Niall finally shifted his cold gaze to her. "Of course child, anything for you."

Sookie didn't know what it was about his voice, but it sent a shiver down her spine and she instantly knew why he was such a powerful person. She didn't like being on his bad side and she shuddered to think what it would be like to be on his bad side and not be his great granddaughter, like Eric…

Sookie took an involuntary step behind Michael so that she was blocked from the view of her great grandfather. Eric was still behind her but that was too far to move and she just didn't want to have to be looking into his eyes anymore. There was something hard and cold about him and she can't believe she hadn't seen it before. It was completely irrational of course, she could arguably take Niall down but what she saw in his eyes gave her great pause. Now that Michael was blocking her from his gaze, she realized that she didn't know her great grandfather as well as she thought she had. There was a whole other side to him. She realized that she was scared of him.

Sookie clutched Michael's arm tightly and Eric moved up to her side and began to rub her back soothingly. Michael growled as he leveled a glare at Niall. In that moment Michael and Eric were having the same exact thought at the same exact time. _I want to rip him limb from limb._

Apparently it was written on both of their faces because Niall was suddenly aware that he was not only faced with an angry God-touched Viking vampire, he was also facing an Arch Angel who was the commander of God's army. He closed his eyes and tried to get a hold of himself; he was a patient man and he knew how to wait until the situation benefitted him. Besides, he'd never been one to fight without a plan. In this case he wasn't sure if a fight was the exact way to go. He would suppress his current need and then peruse them later, though he couldn't help the few ideas that slipped through his mind of their own accord. When he opened his eyes he made sure that nothing showed on his face and in his eyes except complete calm.

Sookie could feel Eric's rage flowing violently into her; it was so bad that the hand he was rubbing her back with to soothe her was actually shaking.

He was listening to Niall's thoughts and something occurred to him. Niall may have been aware to the upgrade of their strength and power but apparently no one filled him in on the gifts that were due to their bond. Eric knew that Niall was not a careless man, and that he was just as meticulous as him. Obviously he didn't know that Sookie's mind reading now extended to him too and now that they were fully bonded they both would be able to hear his mind like any others. Niall's mind wasn't protected as Michael's was nor was Sookie blocking it (because she was dealing with the darkness she had saw in his eyes for the first time though Eric always knew that it was there).

Eric hated that Sookie feared Niall now, though it wasn't unexpected. He knew that it wasn't so much a physical fear as it was a fear of her great grandfather. If Sookie had learned anything in her little more than quarter century on this earth, it was that the people closest to your heart can sometimes hurt you the worst. Her great uncle's molestation, Bill's betrayal, the misuse by her so called friends (Alcide's wanting to use her and then blame her/Quinn's betrayal/Arlene turning against her), her brother's abandonment of actually being there for her, the man she thought was a friend killing her grandmother, the list could go on and on. Though her mind was closed to him at this moment he knew that she had allowed herself to start loving Niall without giving herself the permission to do so. He knew that her mind was probably swirling with different possibilities of how her supposed to be loving great grandfather-now scary great grandfather could possibly hurt her.

Michael squared his shoulders and took a step towards the Prince, pulling Sookie and Eric with him. To his credit (or stupidity) Niall didn't take a step back or shrink away from Michael. Michael was going to ask Niall for his help, to be nice and civil, but he wouldn't stand for anyone scaring Sera. No one would intimidate her in his presences. He tried to take another step towards the fairy but Sera was holding his arm tight, holding him away from one of the last two family members still living. He rolled his eyes. _Of course_ she wouldn't want him to hurt Niall no matter the evil she saw in his eyes.

Instead he waved his free hand in the air and a small window appeared to the side of them. It showed all that he saw in Sera's mind. "Eric and Sera had a run in with Lilith." He spoke in an authoritative voice. "This is what happened between them. Do you recognize this mountain?" Niall nodded but didn't speak and Michael didn't wait for him to do so. "Go there. I'm sure that she's moved on from there but I want you to see if you can pick something up to follow Lilith. I don't need to tell you to be careful on the off chance that Lilith is still there. Do not call to Sera and do not see her until you have checked in with me. Do not call, do not write, and do not send Claudine. Have I made myself plain?"

Eric watched with satisfaction as Michael barred Niall from Sookie's life. No one else would have the power to do so and by the way Niall's eyes blazed, he'd realized the same thing. Niall gave another curt not.

"Leave now." Michael ordered. "And know that when you do that this realm will be protected." Niall opened his mouth to speak but Michael waved his hand in dismissal. Niall glared at him and huffed but then he disappeared with a quiet pop.

When they were alone Michael pulled Sookie off of his arm and wrapped his arms around her neck. Sookie wrapped her arms around his body and Eric wrapped his arms around Sookie's waist. They stroked her hair as her eyes blurred with silver tears. They ran thickly onto his bare chest. She didn't realize in all the excitement that Michael was partially dressed but at the moment she didn't really care. Michael was warm and his muscles rippled all around her. Being in his arms felt like home to Sookie and she felt so comforted by him.

Eric however was beginning to distract her as he pressed his body close behind hers. He began to nuzzle her neck as he continued to stroke her hair with one hand and her ribs with the other. Her butt pressed against Eric's growing groin of its own volition and Eric purred involuntarily and ground his hips into hers, making her moan in Michael's ear.

Sookie couldn't help but think how she was caught between comfort and arousal. She was grinding with her husband while holding on to her best friend…who was an angel. All of a sudden an image popped into her mind of Eric taking her from behind as she still embraced Michael. She tried to push the image away but it persisted in her head and she went rigid.

A million things were going through Michael's head all at once. All he wanted was to comfort his best friend. Honestly it had been so long since he had been able to speak or hold her that he happily took any reason to do so. He however did NOT want to be there as his brother in law began to seduce his sister. First moaned in his ear and now she was completely rigid in his arms.

Sookie chastised herself for her thought when her little Amelia popped in her head. Little Amelia was the part of Sookie's brain that tried to talk her into doing things that she knew she shouldn't be doing.

"Sookie what the hell? You had better jump on that!" Little Amelia screeched excitedly. "Hell, move out the way I will show you what's up!" Little Amelia pushed Sookie out of the way and jumped on Michael, wrapping her legs around his waist; and then she reached back and grabbed Eric's tunic and pulled him close behind her.

So many things were running through Sookie's mind. Her need for comfort, lust, her fear was still there and also a pang of guilt and longing for Amelia. She also couldn't suppress the naughty thoughts that she was having about Eric while she was hugging Michael.

Eric's hand abruptly stopped mid stroke on Sookie's ribs and in that moment she realized that she was no longer blocking her thoughts from Eric and he had just saw everything…including Little Amelia.

Sookie was no longer rigid, in Michael and Eric's arms. She was shaking quite violently.

"Sera?" Michael said as he tightened his arms around her trying to hold her steady, but she didn't answer him. "Seraphim?" He said again as Sookie's body shook even more violently against him.

Sookie was trying to contain herself. A lot has happened in a very short period of time and though her actual body was sleeping she still felt very tired and her head was spinning a bit. She couldn't control her emotions anymore as her body shook while she tried. She wretched away from Michael, who let her go but looked at her with concern. Eric tightened his arms around her waist but she wretched away from him too and she bent over and put her hands on her knees and tried to contain herself.

She couldn't.

Sookie howled loudly as her laughter broke through her body. Once it started she couldn't stop and she began laughing hysterically at everything that was happenings. She supposed that in cases of random outbursts it could have been way worse than just laughing hysterically. Her eyes were still clouded in a silver haze of her tears but now it was for a completely different reason. She fell to her knees and then on the ground roaring with laughter.

"Sera?" Michael called her again but it only served to make her laugh even harder. Sookie's side was cramping and she clutched her arms to her ribs trying to relieve the discomfort.

Her teary eyes looked up as her random laughter began to subside. The sight of two powerful beings standing over her looking concerned just served to send her into another fit of giggles. Eric was smiling as Sookie's levity bombarded his system. Michael looked at him as if to say-_Has she lost her mind?_-and that made Eric chuckle as he shrugged his shoulders.

Sookie began gasping for air and turned on her side so that she could breathe easier. After a few minutes Sookie finally calmed down and began to breathe normally.

"Are you okay?" Michael asked. He was looking at her as if she had gone mad but still not in that "Crazy Sookie" way that she'd experienced at home in Bon Temps.

Sookie couldn't help but to chuckle a bit at her friend. "I'm fine." She said and then she lifted her hand and Eric grabbed it and gently pulled her to her feet.

"Are you sure Lover?" Eric asked as he once again wrapped his arms around her pulling her close.

"Yeah Eric I'm fine," Sookie said as she leaned into his body, letting herself to disappear within his amazing scent. "Really."

"Good because Michael was getting very worried about you for a while." Eric mock whispered. "He wasn't sure what to do."

Sookie chuckled and smiled at her friend. "He was, was he?" She said as she reached out and took Michael's hand. "And I suppose that you were not worried about me at all?"

"Oh no not me Lover, you know I'm not the worrying kind." Eric purred and lightly grazed Sookie's ear with his teeth making a shiver rocket through her body.

She timidly smiled at Michael apologetically for her body's involuntary reaction to Eric. Michael rolled his eyes and smiled ruefully back while minutely shaking his head. She could see silver streaks on his chest where her tears had escaped her and ran onto him though he didn't seem worried about wiping them away.

"Though I think that if he saw the thoughts I saw in your head then he would have had to re-evaluate the sanity of his precious _sister_." Eric continued to Sookie's horror. She could feel his amusement through the bond. She was completely right. "Should I tell him exactly what Little Amelia was trying to talk you into doing; or maybe the stray thought that ran itself through your mind? I think he would find it quite interesting…." He let his voice trail off as if he were unsure.

Sookie's face turned five shades of red and she tried to pull her hand from Michael's but he held it tightly. She really wasn't interested in Michael that way at all but at the moment that Eric was teasing her about she just wanted to be comforted and Michael gave her that with his hug; but then Eric came up behind her and her body reacted to him as it always does. Her body and her mind were battling for what she needed so her mind came up with its own compromise. Of course Eric already knew that, if he didn't there would be no way that he would allow Michael to be so very close to Sookie…ever.

Sookie opened her mouth to say something, though she wasn't sure what, but Michael spoke before she could.

"Shut up Eric." Michael. "Leave Sera alone or I will break out the stories from the last ten centuries…and we both know that there is a _lot_ of material."

"You wouldn't." Eric said in mock horror, though Sookie felt a pang of apprehension. She guessed that part of him was worried that Michael wasn't joking.

Michael waved his hand in the air and a massive black leather book appeared, hovering over his free hand. There where markings over the front of it though Sookie didn't know the language it was written in. She was suddenly not so tired and extremely alert.

Michael squeezed her hand with a sly smile and Sookie was shocked. She had no idea that he would be the type to be so…so…_devious_. She wondered if this had always been a part of him of something newly acquired because since their first meeting there was nothing about him to indicate that he could actually be playful; not like Gabriel. She totally would have expected this from Gabriel.

"Just try me Viking." Michael replied and raised an eyebrow to dare Eric.

Eric studied Michael's face for a few moments. Though he seemed playful he could see a glint of seriousness in Michael's eyes, he knew that Michael wouldn't hesitate to break open the book and start reading. There was nothing in his past that Eric regretted as a vampire (mistakes?-yes but when they're done then they're done and there's no point in regretting them because there's nothing that can be done about them so why regret them? He'd learned to just learn from them and move on), and what he could remember of being a man; that however didn't mean that there weren't a shitload of things that happened to him that wasn't embarrassing as hell. He wasn't trying to hide any of it but at the same time he wasn't about to bring it up again if he could help it. He threw up blocks around his mind because he was scared that as he weighed his options some memories would involuntarily spring to the forefront of his mind.

Eric growled menacingly at Michael. Michael just smiled at him. "Are you sure you want to take this route brother?" He asked innocently. "I'm sure Sera here can busy herself with a few pages that I point out to her while we settle our differences."

Eric glared daggers, stakes, axes, and a hundred other sharp objects at Michael. Michael's smile grew as Eric growled at him again, only this time in defeat.

"There will be retribution" Eric warned him.

"I expect no less from you." Michael replied. "Besides I am a big boy and I am quite looking forward to whatever you have in mind."

"Master we have landed." Pam's voice interrupted them. The three of them looked back at the screen with Pam-Vision to see that everyone was standing as they got ready to leave the plane. "We shall be at the hotel shortly."

"I will leave the same guard with you to escort you around." Stan said. From the Pam-Vision they saw that he was looking at her as he spoke to Eric. "I have a meeting with the king about the whereabouts of my telepath."

'_That's fine,' _Eric replied. _'I appreciate it very much. Until later.'_

Stan nodded at Pam and then swept away with his guard onto the tarmac and into the limo that was waiting, though some of them had to get into the town car that waited right behind the limo.

When they began to drive away, Joseph moved to Pam's side. "Ready to go?" He asked. She didn't reply, but just nodded.

'_Manners Pam.'_Sookie teased as she watched them and the rest of the guard get off the plane and begin to load the coffins into the waiting moving van. This time two road up front and the rest of the guard road in the back with Pam and Joseph (Pam made sure to sit on Eric's coffin again).

'_Shut up Sookie._' Pam shot back as she tried to will herself not to smile.

"I believe that this is my cue to leave." Michael stated as they watched both the Pam-Vision monitors and the other one that had everyone's POV, they changed to just the POV's of the driver and the passenger.

"What will happen?" Sookie asked as she gripped the hand of her friend. She didn't want him to leave yet, especially with all the unpleasantness that she knew she was about to face.

"I will go back and I will head the search for Lilith." He replied returning her squeeze. "We know that she wants the two of you for something though we don't know what. I prefer we find out so that we can plan a proper defensive."

"Will I see you again soon?" Sookie asked. She tried not to sound pitiful and pathetic, but from the look on Michael's face and the squeeze Eric gave to her waist, she knew that she had failed miserably.

"I don't know Sera," He replied. "We are all going to be very busy for a while."

"But will you call?" Sookie pressed. She didn't know why she wanted to make sure she saw or spoke to him again so soon but she did and she couldn't help herself.

Of course she would love to see the rest of them too, especially Gabriel, but the pull to see Michael was so much stronger. She chalked it up to being told that they were best friends. After all she wanted to see Gabriel more than any of the other angels she'd met just as Eric wanted to see Freyja and Odin more that the others...though she wasn't sure if he had gotten used to them being angels instead of gods or that he just naturally identified with them more than the others.

"We don't have cell phones in Heaven." Michael joked weakly, Sookie rolled her eyes. He was just trying to cover the fact that he didn't want to leave her either. He had just found his friend again and now he had to miss out on time getting reacquainted with her because of Lilith. He was sure that Sera could see all the pain in his eyes but she didn't say anything, she just bit on her bottom lip.

"Michael." She pressed, though he could tell that she was about to begin to whine and he wasn't trying to go there.

"I promise that we will keep in touch." He assured her. "I will get messages to you and I will come when I am able."

"And Gabriel too?" Sera pleaded.

Michael nodded with a small sad smile. "I will allow Gabriel to come too."

Eric watched their exchange in silence. He wasn't jealous but it was eye opening. He could see his relationship within theirs. Michael was a General. From what he understood about him Michael was big shit, someone that everyone trembled before. Some texts even called him the right hand of God, so he could see reason for people to fear him. And yet, here he was so affected by Sookie like probably nothing else. This must be what others see when they watch his interaction with Sookie. Big bad ass vampire Sheriff that sends terror into his enemies hearts with just a look or the sound of his name, and yet a mortal woman 972 years his junior had such a grand affect upon him.

He was sure that like him Michael brought down his guard and was able to relax in the presence of Sookie (or Sera…whatever) just as he was. He felt a kindred spirit in Michael, Sookie was the refuge for them both. He saw the same thing to an extent with Gabriel but not near as deep as with Michael. He somehow just felt that Gabriel was Gabriel no matter who he was around. That was not the case with Michael. Michael was General Michael, Leader of God's Army to everyone else but when he was with Sera he was just plain old Michael, and nothing more. Eric had to be Viking Eric Northman, Sheriff of Area 5 of Louisiana and soon to be Viking Eric Northman, King of Louisiana, Arkansas, and Las Vegas; but when he was with Sookie he was just plain old Eric, son of Jarl and Aesa.

Of course they didn't want Sookie in the same way but Eric did feel that watching their exchange he did understand how deep their relationship was even if Michael remembered it and Sookie didn't. Of course this also wouldn't deter him from kicking Michael's Archangelic ass either. In fact it gave him a rather devious idea…though Sookie would probably try to kick his ass, but since when has he ever been scared of a _girl_? He'd have to think on it for a while. It didn't matter at the moment; he had plenty of time to map out his plans for Michael. Besides he knew what people said about revenge….

"Okay." Sookie finally acceded though she couldn't help but pout a little. "I will see you later."

"No worries, my dear Sera." Michael said with a gentle kiss to the back of Sookie's hand. "I have to come and see you if we are going to plot against your husband. I have a feeling that he thinks that he can surprise me, and I must show him who the master is."

Sookie laughed. "Oh no, I know when to fight and when to step aside and there's no way I am getting in this."

"Yes, besides in this religion isn't a husband and wife supposed to forsake all others for their mate?" Eric asked as he gently squeezed Sookie's waist again. He really loved the thought, and reality, of Sookie being his wife.

"Yes brother, but there is a best friend clause in that though so I believe that I can supersede your claim to my sister." Michael said with all the conviction he could muster in his voice.

Sookie laughed at his serious tone. "I must have missed that one in bible study." She snickered. "Besides how can I help my best friend plot against my husband or my husband against my best friend? If I do it for one then I would have to do it for the other and I would rather watch how this unfolds between you."

"I can change your mind." Eric purred in her ear.

"Yeah, but you won't." Sookie replied simply though his cool breath sent chills down her spine and her mind lost all thought for a second.

"Fair enough." Michael said. "I have never lost a battle, I doubt that will change."

"Hmm you know I can say the same exact thing." Eric replied slyly.

Sookie knew this was going to be good and tried to remember to remind herself to ask Gabriel if he wanted to take bets. Do angels bet? She wasn't sure but somehow she didn't think that she would have to spend too much time trying to persuade Gabriel.

They all turned to the monitors again to see that they were now riding into the freight elevator of their hotel. They would need to wake in a few minutes.

"I must go." Michael said again. He made a fist with his right hand and pressed it to his left shoulder. "Brother." He said to Eric, who just nodded back in return because he absolutely refused to let go of Sookie. Michael seemed to understand this and didn't take any offense. He stepped forward and kissed Sookie on the cheek and then stepped back again. "Talk to you soon Seraphim."

Sookie nodded and just replied simply. "Michael."

Suddenly a massive bolt of lightning struck Michael and with a great big BOOM, he was gone. It was so loud that Sookie had to cover her ears. They stood there for a few moments looking at the spot where their cohort just disappeared.

Eric was the first to reclaim his self and he muttered. "Show off," into Sookie's ear making her giggle.

They turned back to Pam-Vision and watched as she and the other guards brought the coffins into the presidential suite that Eric had reserved so that they could all stay close to one another. Pam had them place Eric's coffin in the main room of the suite while she directed her and Bill's coffins to the secondary room.

"Are you ready for all of this?" Eric asked Sookie as someone knocked on the door and Pam went to go and get it. They did a quick scan to see that it was a messenger from Felipe, which was not unexpected.

"Yes my king." Sookie said in a calm voice as she tried not to show any emotion on her face.

Eric jumped a little and looked at her, he was startled to hear anyone, let alone _Sookie,_ call him _my king_. He found that he liked it and a smile slowly spread across his face. He could see that she was still fighting to have her face emotionless but her feelings through the bond said that she was amused that she was able to surprise him.

He bowed to her. "In that case my _queen_we should go." Sookie nodded her agreement and they joined hands.

Pam came back into the room. "We have been summoned to arrive at midnight. That will give us just under two hours to get to the palace."

Pam sounded calm but her mind betrayed her excitement of having everything begin. She was proud that her maker would be the next king. She was also sure that Sookie was a great queen. She had no doubts that Sookie would succeed but Pam was the type to hedge her bets so she resolved to do what she could to help Sookie make Eric shine.

"We are _all_ to be there." She continued though this time her voice was a little stressed.

'_It's okay Pam.'_ Eric replied. _'Order blood and then wake Bill, make sure that he continues to drink. As a matter of fact you should drink too, it has been too long since your last feeding.'_ He could feel the beginnings of hunger from Pam and though she was not harmed, a hungry vampire was not a vampire at his/her peak and they didn't know how Felipe would come at them so they didn't need to be taking any unnecessary risks.

"Yes Master." Pam replied.

'_Have one guard stand by the door at the front plus ours and yours. Have the rest fan out through the suite and tell them to order blood when you do so that they can be sated too. Too many of them are thinking about their next meal. Make sure everyone drinks. We will change and meet you in the sitting area.'_

"It will be done." Pam assured him and then turned on her heels and left the room. She popped back in a moment later and sat their suit cases right inside the door but then disappeared again.

"Let's go." Eric said with one last squeeze to Sookie's hand.

Though they knew they would still be together it made them both sad to leave the comfort of their dream realm. It's something they really noticed unless they had just entered or are about to leave the realm, but it didn't change the fact that the comfort was there. Somehow because most of the time it was an unconscious thing, it made it somehow more…more.

With one more simultaneous squeeze of their hands they both closed their eyes and then disappeared from the dream realm.

TBC

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A/N: I've decided to add in another teaser for you guys so review and I will send you a teaser for the next chapter. I'm letting my Beta choose the teaser and I must warn you that she's an evil little woman so if you don't want to read a teaser that will make your jaw drop or make you inch towards those rocks to throw to make me hurry and post the next chapter just let me know in your review and I will be sure not to send it in my response. Everyone else, proceed at your own risk...and don't say I didn't warn you of her evilness.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear in ANY of the Charlaine Harris books, everyone else is MINE.

A/N: There's just a few explanations I have but they will be best saved for the end of the chapter. Enjoy.

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Chapter 21

Darkness surrounded them as they lay in the coffin. Eric woke with a smile on his face and wrapped his arms around Sookie's still body. He tilted his head down so that he could bury his nose in Sookie's hair. He let out a low moan as he exhaled. _'God she smells amazing.'_ He thought to himself as he continued to breathe his wife in.

"Lover, wake up." He purred as he rubbed his hands up and down her back trying to gently stir her. He thought that they were leaving the dream realm together but maybe she stayed back for some reason. He didn't want to jolt her awake so he continued to rub her back and kiss her head. Even in her sleep Sookie's body always responded to him. This time it didn't.

"Lover?" He called her gently as he gave her a little shake. Sookie still did not stir. "Sookie?" He said this time giving her a little harder shake. She continued to lie there completely still against his body. She didn't even moan and try to turn over mumbling about five more minutes as she did sometimes when he woke her before she was ready. She was still, motionless, lying like the….

It couldn't be. Weren't they told that she couldn't die? Yet here she was lying like the dead, not responding to him at all. He put a hand over her closed mouth and waited to see if he could feel her breath but there was none. He just realized that there was something missing, but that couldn't be. He pressed his hands against her back and waited…but there was nothing. Her heart was not beating. Eric began to freak out.

"Sookie!" He yelled. He didn't care that the sound of his roaring voice was being magnified in their small confined space. If anything that would be better because maybe it will just be what he needed to wake her up. She still did not stir. "Please Sookie, wake up for me." Eric said as he began to really panic now.

He shook her body as hard as he could and even though her limbs were hitting the sides of their coffin she didn't respond to any of it. He held her lifeless body close to his chest and let out a loud agonized roar. He had to see her. True enough that he could see just fine in the pitch black but he didn't have enough room to lay her out so that he could check on her properly.

Eric didn't bother to flick the secret latch to open his coffin from the inside. He let Sookie's motionless body lay peacefully on his chest as he as he let his limbs connect to different places of the tiny enclosure.

The door burst open and all the guards plus Bill and Pam ran into the room just in time to see Eric's coffin explode around him and Sookie. Pam had opened Bill's coffin but he had refused to move and to be honest, he really didn't know how. He couldn't make his body respond to anything that Pam was saying to him. She had opened his mouth and began pouring blood down his throat and he swallowed on reflex but that was the only response his body made to anything. He just lay in his coffin seeing nothing at all as he stared off into space.

The guards were acclimating themselves around the massive suite as they drunk from the cases of blood that Pam had ordered. She had made sure that there was a man posted on the inside of the main door and then also one on her and Bill's doors and then two on Eric and Sookie's. Joseph was sitting on the couch speaking on the phone when they heard Eric call Sookie's name. They looked to Joseph who shook his head, telling them to stay where they were.

Bill sat up in his coffin knocking the blood from Pam's hand. He knew that tone…and that was not a good thing. He met Pam's eyes and they were in agreement at the same time. He knew that she could feel her makers anguish. They were the first to move.

That's when the most gut retching, anguished scream erupted from Eric. All the guards froze in place and in the next second they too where flinging themselves at Eric and Sookie's door. Everyone burst through the door just as pieces of coffin was going everywhere. There Eric stood with Sookie's limp body in his arms and his face buried in her hair.

"What have you done?!" Bill bellowed but Eric didn't respond, he just moved to the bed and lay Sookie's body down.

"Master what's happened?" Pam asked. She was the only one willing to step towards him, not even Bill with all his indignation dared to move forward. "I can't hear her heart beat."

Eric didn't answer but a low growl did emanate from his chest as Pam finally reached them at the bed. She reached to stroke Sookie's hair but Eric growled harder at her. "Don't touch her! She's _my_Sookie." Pam retracted her hand and watched helplessly as Eric crawled into the bed with Sookie's body and began to stroke her face as if there was no one else on the planet, let alone anyone else in the room.

Pam couldn't leave but she didn't want anyone else to be a witness to her master's grief. "Everyone get out now." She ordered them.

"What does this mean?" Joseph asked as his guards began filing out of the room with their heads down. "Is she dead? Is she _finally_ dead?"

"Get out now!" Pam screeched. She was falling apart and she didn't know how much longer she was going to be able to keep herself together. It was important to Joseph's health that he leaves now. "I will be out in a moment." She grudgingly added when he looked as if he were about to protest again.

Bill didn't move as Joseph closed the door behind himself. Pam looked at Bill but she didn't ask him to leave, she already knew that he wouldn't, and besides he had as much of a right to be there as she did. He loved her too. Pam went down and grabbed Bill's hand and pulled him to the side of the bed where they both fell to their knees and looked at the silent angel of a woman before them.

Eric stroked her face and hair disbelievingly. He reached for their bond but didn't feel anything. He reached to her mind but got no response. As ironic as it is this gave him hope. He didn't feel a loss like the absence of the bond but just as if it was closed and not responding. Besides he had faith in his gods…angels…whatever. He had faith in what Gabriel told him because he stood side by side with Freyja and Odin. Though they were angels and not gods, they still looked out for him and guided him and he would trust who they trusted.

_Okay Eric think, think, think, think._ He chanted to himself. This was no time to panic. _Come on Eric, they said she couldn't die until she was called home. You are missing something. What are you overlooking? Think! If she were truly dead then you would truly be able to feel it. You wouldn't feel nothingness you would feel loss and pain. Just get a hold of yourself and try to see all sides. Don't panic now; you're a freaking Viking for crying out loud!_ He angrily wiped the golden tears from his eyes and began rolling everything through his mind. _What had Gabriel said to us?_

'_You are still a vampire and you need to sleep the day just as Sera will need to sleep eight hours to be refreshed…Sookie you will have inhuman strength that your body just can't handle until you transform._ Eric felt as if he were close if he could just get…SHIT! Eric looked over to where his coffin used to sit before he destroyed it. He heard Gabriel's voice as if he were standing right next to him. _'You have to understand that as exceptional as you are, you are still human…Other than that, you will still be quite human…'_

_Fuck fuckity fuck-fuck-fuck!_ Eric berated himself. "FUCK!" He growled out loud.

Pam and Bill both jumped at his sudden outburst and looked at him inquiringly.

"Master what is it?" Pam said warily. She was hoping that this sudden outburst meant that he had figured something out to save their Sookie.

"Fucking shit!" Was the only response Eric gave.

"Eric, it's not your fault." Bill said as he stood. He looked miserably at Eric and he couldn't help but feel compassionate towards him. At the moment they both were in the same boat and there was no feeling good about it. Sookie was gone and soon he would be too though some part of him had to make sure that Eric and Pam didn't follow the same route. Sookie wouldn't want that and because he knew that he would make that his last deed. He would watch out for Eric and Pam until he was sure they were going to go on in life; once he was sure of that he would join his beloved. "There was no way to know Eric, this is not on you."

Eric finally seemed to hear Bill and he turned to meet his gaze that was full of misery. "It is my fault Bill." He said simply. "She's still human. No matter what gifts or powers we were given, she is still human."

Bill didn't understand him though; of course she was still human, that's how they killed her. Pam's head snapped up though and Bill looked over to her.

"Humans…" She began but then her voice fell off.

"Say it Pam, I know you see where this is going." Eric said. He was using the time to come up with a solution. Sookie was not dead but she was still unresponsive, could awakening her be so simple?

"Mahogany Woodson Cas-casket." Pam stumbled.

"The elite casket maker?" Bill asked.

Pam nodded. "Eric had his casket specially made. It was a foot taller than needed and one and a half times the width so that he would have plenty of room, it was heavily padded and completely…."

"What!" Bill said completely exasperated.

"Air tight," Eric answered for Pam. "It was completely airtight."

Bill's eyes widened as bloody tears began to well in his eyes. He realized that the love of his existence suffocated in her sleep.

"Do not cry for her Bill," Eric said in a voice softer than he had ever used with Bill. "She is not dead."

"Eric she's not breathing," Bill protested as he fought to keep his voice steady. "Her heart is n-not beating anymore. She is dead."

"She's not dead." Eric repeated though this time he was surveying Sookie's body speculatively. "We were told that she can't die. She isn't dead."

"Told by whom?" Pam asked as she finally stood up.

"Gabriel." Eric answered though he was only half was listening. Sookie wasn't dead, she had just run out of oxygen and Eric was positive that when that was solved Sookie would be back.

"Gabriel," Bill said. "Who is Gabriel?"

Eric wasn't listening. He bent over Sookie's still form and took a deep breath, inhaling her scent that was still very concentrated; he made sure to increase the energy he was putting out to compensate for Sookie putting out none. The last thing he needed was the distraction of Bill or Pam losing their control. He placed his fingers over her nose and then pinched making sure that the air actually made it into her lungs.

He used his free hand to tug on her chin, opening her mouth. With a silent prayer he put his lips to hers and slowly blew the unneeded air from his lungs into hers. He repeated this action twice and then waited to see if there was any difference.

'_Come on Sookie, wake up for me.'_ He thought to her frantically.

Just as he was about to give up waiting and try breathing into her again he felt a jolt. It wasn't her heart or her body, but her mind. He reached for where the bond should have been and pushed all his feelings toward her while he began thinking to her. _'Lover, come back to me. Our time is not over. Lover, come back to me. I need you to survive.'_ He kept chanting those same thoughts to her as he felt her mind stir, but there still was no heartbeat so he figured that she needed more.

He repeated the same actions twice, each time her mind gave a greater and greater response. She wasn't really thinking words but he began to make out thoughts. He kept up his continuous chant. He could hear Pam and Bill's voices calling to them but he didn't speak back to them, he only had eyes and ears for Sookie.

He saw a vivid picture of himself float through her mind. He was smiling at her and his eyes were full of love. He felt a tingle in the bond…love.

He couldn't restrain himself any longer and he once again pressed his lips to hers but this time he wasn't breathing into her but kissing her with all the love and passion he could muster. Though her mouth was still closed he let his lips tell her of the joy he felt, but in the next moment all the picture thoughts and the tingling he felt in the bond were suddenly cut off. He stilled for a moment in panic but then it all exploded around him. Her heart began to explode over and over again as it regained the beat the rhythm that he had set his life to since the day they met. The bond burst open with her love and joy and happiness, and it filled his undead body to the brim.

Sookie gasped as her body jerked forward knocking her directly into Eric. Eric was so surprised that he didn't stop his body from flying backwards until he was on his butt. His eyes were huge like saucers as he watched his bonded heave great breaths. The room was utterly still as Sookie looked into the crystal blue eyes of Eric. She had always thought that his eyes were like bottomless pits but gold flecks seemed to make his eternal eyes fathomless. She could just gaze into them forever and be perfectly content.

"Sookie." Eric breathed as his hand gently cupped her cheek. She leaned into his gentle touch.

"I love it when you bring me back to life." She smiled.

Eric couldn't help but smile as she repeated his words back to him. She watched the sadness leave his eyes only to be replaced by his elation.

"Sorry I worried you." She said as she closed her eyes and concentrated on his touch.

"Pam and Bill and everyone else were losing their minds, but I wasn't scared at all." He lied with an easy smile.

Sookie giggled a bit but then looked him in the eyes again. "You weren't were you?" She asked skeptically as she played along.

"Na, you know I'm not the worrying kind."

"So you say…"

They fell silent as they gazed into each other's eyes communicating all that they wanted to say. They weren't sure about how long exactly they sat there like that but after a while Pam's voice broke in.

"Uh, Master?" She called tentatively.

They looked over to see that she and Bill were waiting outside a silver barrier. Sookie's enclosure had exploded from her when she regained consciousness.

"Oh sorry." Sookie said and then she closed her eyes and concentrated on pulling her enclosure in. Not a second after it was stored safely within her bond did Pam land on the bed wrapping Sookie in what should have been a bone shattering hug. "Need to breathe Pam."

"Oh sorry." Pam said and pulled back. She settled herself next to Sookie on the bed and wrapped her arm through Sookie's.

"Geez Pam, what's with all the emotion?" Sookie teased. "You're becoming such a girl."

"Shut up Sookie, I think you've been rubbing off on me without my knowledge."

"And what kind of fun was that for you?" Sookie replied with a mock-sympathetic look.

Pam rolled her eyes but laughed, Eric and Sookie joined her for a moment when she realized that Bill was keeping his distance.

"I'm okay Bill." She said softly. He didn't speak but nodded his head in a short jerky movement. "Come here please."

Bill stared at her but he didn't move towards or away from his spot. Sookie opened her mind to find that his was whirling in chaos. He wanted to die he wanted to live he was glad she was alive but he was sad that she was still alive because now they won't be able to spend eternity together. Then he was berating his self for feeling the way he did and he really just wanted to crawl up somewhere and die. Out of all the crazy thoughts that he was having they all came back to the same thing…that Bill wanted to die.

"No Bill." Sookie said. This time she wasn't mad, she was just hurt. "Please give me a chance."

This broke up Bill's stoic façade, he burst into a fit of harsh laughter that wasn't the least bit amusing. "A chance for what?" He asked though he didn't wait for an answer. "I'm glad that you are okay, I can't tell you how it makes me feel; but both you and I know that there is no longer a place for me."

"You're wrong," Sookie replied stubbornly. "There is a place for you here. It may not be the place that you want but there is a place here for you."

"And exactly where would that be?" Bill scoffed. His voice remained low and emotionless. Neither was getting carried away with their emotions and that seemed to make their conversation all the more ominous. "Me watching the love of my life love another man who is my boss? Or how about I watch from afar as one of the most ruthless vampires I know get everything that I ever wanted. You want me to live with my mistakes but can't you understand that I don't want to live through the pain of those mistakes. I don't want to get over you, that's not even a possibility.

Eric moved to the side of Sookie and mimicked Pam's position. He gazed steadily at Bill though he kept his face clear of all emotion. He also threw up the block for his mind so that she could be alone with her thoughts.

"I can help you. I just need you to give me time to help you." Sookie stood firm.

"I don't want your help Sookie. I just want you to let me go. Please let me do what it is that I want to do; you may not agree with it but it's what I want."

"You say that it's what you want but that's only because you haven't tried to let go. You haven't tried to get over me you haven't tried to do anything but get me back when I was clearly already gone." Sookie was beginning to lose her patience so she stopped and she took a deep breath before she continued. "Let me make you a deal Bill. Let me try, just try to help you. Just give me the chance to help you once. If it doesn't work then I won't stop your plans."

"If I choose to end my life you will not stand in my way?"

"No, if that's what you choose then I won't stand in your way. I will even be there for your end like I was there for Godfrey. I think that that would be the least that I could do for you."

Bill regarded her for a minute. There had to be a draw back because this is not the Sookie he knows. He couldn't see a down side though. He could give Sookie a chance and if it worked then he would be happy again (with her)-or at least normal again, if it didn't work then he would be free to end his miserable existence. Goodness, how did he get so bad? How did he get to the point where he could no longer deal with his pain? How did he get to the point where a human, a special human that may be, would have the power to cause him so much pain that he couldn't even bear to live with it. Now that was the question, could he live with this gaping pain long enough to give her the chance to try?

"Please Bill?" Sookie pleaded. "Just make it back to Louisiana and that's it. If you can just make it back to Louisiana I know that I can help you…just please…" Sookie didn't look into his mind as he contemplated her words. In truth it really didn't matter what his answer was because one way or another she would have her chance. It could either be with or without Bill's consent. She was not above locking him back into his coffin and then shipping him home. Actually that may be a good idea because she would have all the time in the world to figure out how to help heal Bill.

"Okay." Bill agreed. "I will give you the chance you want. I promise I will not willingly allow myself to be killed. You have my word."

"And if by chance I cannot heal you then I promise to not stand in your way if by chance you decide to still end your life; and if you decide to end your life then-then I promise to witness it for you." Sookie choked back a sob and forced herself to continue. "It-it's the least that I can do for you."

"Then we have a deal." Bill replied. He hesitated for a moment and then walked over to the bed. He leaned over and grabbed her ankle, just to reaffirm that she truly was okay, and gave a little squeeze. Her skin was warm and her pulse was strong. "I really am glad that you are okay, Sookie." He gave as genuine of a smile as his shattered insides would allow.

"Thank you Bill." Sookie replied.

There was a loud rap on the door and Bill went to answer it.

"What's going on Compton?" Joseph asked. "That's Sookie's voice that we hear but how can that be?"

"Even I don't know that Joseph." Bill replied coolly. Joseph took a step forward as if he was going to try to come in but Bill blocked his way. "The Sheriff and his bonded are not decent yet, but they will be out in a few minutes."

Pam appeared by Bill's side. "That's correct, besides we all need to get ready for our audience with the king."

Joseph seemed to want to say something, being number two to Stan meant that he was used to getting his questions answered fully and that was just not happening.

"We will be out in a moment Joseph." Eric spoke up and with that Pam and Bill followed him away from the door.

As soon as the doors closed Eric was on Sookie, kissing her with all the intensity he possessed. Sookie's body reacted instantaneously as she curled her hands in his thick blond mane and pulled him ever closer. Eric ran his tongue urgently across Sookie's bottom lip begging admittance, which she happily granted. Their tongues danced an impossible dance that consumed them both. She moaned into his mouth and he pulled her lower onto the bed so that her head was on the pillow. She molded her body to his as they reaffirmed the presence of the other.

It took the strength of a thousand years for Eric to finally move away and break their kiss. He pressed his forehead to hers as they stared into each other's eyes, willing their breaths to be even (at least Sookie was, Eric was just mimicking her motions but if he had to breathe he too would be breathless).

"We have to go." He said when her breathing was once again normal.

"I don't want to go." She replied. He smiled at her but didn't answer so she took it as a chance to run with her statement. "Why don't we just grab Pam and Bill and just go? We will only take what we already have in our luggage and then buy whatever else we may need. You can show me the world. We will retrace your steps and you will tell us the stories behind your journeys. We can live peacefully. We don't have to fight. We don't have to kill. We don't have to do anything except love one another."

"You speak too well Lover; what would Michael and Gabriel say?"

"Michael would say 'Seraphim, as long as you are happy I am happy. I will happily take up the reins so that you can run off with your bonded. It would be my pleasure.'" Sookie replied trying to imitate Michael's strong voice. "'Sera, I'm glad you are finally leaving that hole in the ground you call Bon Temps.' Gabriel would say. 'Go see the world. I will even throw you a going away party.'"

Eric laughed lightly. "Yes Lover, I see that you are right. That sounds exactly like the men that we met. You go and get Pam and Bill and I will grab our bags."

Sookie laughed too and rolled her eyes but then got serious. "Do you ever think that we will be able to be that carefree?"

Eric sat up on the bed with his back against the head board and then pulled Sookie onto his lap. She instinctively laid her head on his shoulder nuzzling his neck; and Eric wrapped her tightly in his arms.

"I think that our position will be able to afford us some comforts." He said slowly. "Will we ever be able to just run off at the drop of a hat without a word? No, we have responsibilities now. Whether we like it or not, we have to act like grownups now."

Sookie giggled at the fact that Eric would ever use the term "grownups". He was glad to be able to make her smile in this serious topic.

"I think that we will be able to be carefree to an extent because we are king and queen. It's up to us to choose how we rule. Some rule with iron fists, others are more lax but I think that we will need to find what is right for us." He paused for a moment so that his words could sink in before he continued. "What kind of queen are you?"

That was a big question, and it didn't escape her mind that he said _'…we _are_ king and queen.'_ and _'what kind of queen _are_ you?'_ but she tried to think about the actual question and not what wrapping he put on it.

"I don't know Eric." She finally admitted. "I just want to be me. I want to help those I can and protect those who can't protect themselves. I want to heal my state. I want to be the type of queen that would be worthy to stand next to a king like you."

"Exactly my point Lover," Eric said. He began to rub her arms slowly in a comforting motion. To Sookie it seemed to be an unconscious thing so she didn't comment or joke about it. "That's the best kind of ruler you can be, just be yourself. You've always wanted to earn your keep and protecting our subjects and healing our kingdom will be a full time job. No matter what happens you will always be worthy of standing by my side; it is I who has to strive to be able to stand by yours."

"You're just trying to make me feel better so that I will go and get changed." She accused jokingly.

"That _and_ because it happens to be the truth."

"Thank you."

"Anytime Lover, besides there really is no need to worry. There will be many to help you along the way; you will not have to learn to be queen in a day."

Sookie laughed at this as the weight of her worry grew a little lighter. She sat up on his lap so that she could gaze into his eyes and she kissed him sweetly. When she pulled back there was a gentle smile on his face. She hoped that she would always be able to put it there.

"It's time to get ready now Lover." He said as he shifted her around on his lap so that her feet were now dangling a few inches from the floor. "Go and hop into the shower and I will get our clothes ready so that there will be as few delays as possible."

A shower sounded wonderful to Sookie. She didn't get to shower after the banquet last night and spending so long in Eric's coffin made her a little stiff. She didn't like dying-going into hibernation-shutting down-or whatever the hell happened to her when she ran out of oxygen. It made her feel stiff and her chest had a dull ache like she used to get for a while when she was a kid and the doctor told her parents that she had childhood asthma. Her chest used to ache for a while when she overdid it during play and she ran out of breath. She would have to take breaks and puff on her inhaler but as she got older the less trouble she had with it until finally she didn't have any problems at all.

A nice hot shower would be nice…even if she had to hurry. She kissed Eric once more quickly and then hopped off his lap and towards the door she assumed would be the bathroom.

Eric watched her close the door behind her and once she was out of sight he threw up a silent prayer of thanks. He felt sudden warmth in his chest so he figured that someone had heard him. He began to open their bags and pull out his own clothes and then he rummaged through Sookie's to find her something.

He decided to lay out a black pinstripe pants suit for her. The pants were straight legged and would brush the floor with her red heels that she paired with the outfit. He suspected that she had a secret fascination with mobsters because she had chosen this outfit after she forced him and Pam into a movie marathon. They both had been dreading it but it turned out not to be bad at all when they learned that she had chosen The Godfather Trilogy for them to watch. The next think he knew she was picking out this black three piece pantsuit with white pinstripes with a vivid red long sleeve dress shirt to go underneath the vest. She stole one of his black silk ties because she liked it better than what they had found in the stores. There was even a matching pin striped hat to go along with it that had interchangeable bands that went around the base of hat, though he knew she wouldn't want to wear it into the meeting with Felipe. He secretly hoped that she would though because that hat on her did pleasurable things to him….

Sookie came out of the bathroom with a towel fitting snugly around her supple form. She was proud that she could shower, shave, brush her teeth, and wash her face in less than twenty minutes. She came out to see that Eric had laid out what she called her mafia suit, she smiled.

"I thought that after the banquet a dress wouldn't be high on your list." Eric said with a sly smile.

He wasn't fooling her though. When she first bought it she decided to model it for him with only the hat, vest, tie, a pair of her favorite black satin boy short panties, and a pair of black four inch heels. Suffice to say that those panties were a distant memory now.

She raised an eyebrow as she looked at him skeptically though she couldn't keep the slight smile off of her face. Eric leered at her and then disappeared into the bathroom with vampire speed. She dropped the towel and applied lotion to her entire body before donning her brand new black satin bra and boy short combo that Eric bought to replace the ones he destroyed.

Eric came out of the bathroom and began to dress and Sookie went back into the vanity with everything that she needed to do her hair and makeup. She blew out her hair but then pulled it back into a tight bun. She kept her makeup light, because Eric liked her best natural, with smoky red eyes that were not nearly as dramatic as she would usually do and light tints of red on her cheeks and lips.

She walked back out to see Eric sitting on the edge of the bed putting on his shoes. He was moving at human speed for her; though she never said it she secretly loved it. His eyes roamed over her body slowly and when they finally made it to her face he stood suddenly and took two steps toward her. Before he could get any further he stopped himself and took a deep breath before moving to the door with great speed saying, "Sorry Lover but if I don't leave now then we won't ever make it out of the room. Come out when you are dressed and we will go." He didn't even wait for a response as he shut the door behind him.

Sookie laughed and then went to the bed and grabbed her clothes. She really did love her outfit. Eric had insisted on her getting the matching skirt and a second traditional vest along with the vest she had first chosen, a vest halter top. She tried to protest but he stood firm and she gave in. The skirt was cute…and short. It was pleated and stopped four inches above her knees; but Eric was right when he laid out the pants instead of the skirt. She was not in any mood for a dress or a skirt.

She began to dress and was not even surprised that Eric chose the halter vest for her to wear. She put it on with a smile and made sure that her red dress shirt collar hid the strap of the halter that was going around her neck. She was going to leave a few buttons undone but quickly discarded that idea and buttoned her blouse all the way before adding Eric's black silk tie. The last thing that she wanted was an eye fuck from Felipe or Victor.

She heard a knock on the main door but didn't bother to scan to see who was knocking on their suite because Eric was out there and he would alert her if there was something wrong. So she pulled up the long legs of her pants so that she wouldn't step on them as she moved to sit on the bed to put on her black heels. She put on the jacket but left it open and then went back to the vanity in the bathroom to take a final look at herself.

She had to admit that she looked completely hot. She couldn't see herself from head to toe but what she could see worked very well. She was the sexiest mobster that she had ever seen. Maybe this could be her power suit? She felt sure and in control. She felt powerful and confident. She felt like a conqueror "You can do this Sookie." She told herself. "It's your responsibility to meet your destiny head on and not run like a coward."

She put on her hat and looked at the full effect and smiled before turning away. She made a mental note to buy more suits like this. She loved seeing her inner Michael Corleone in the mirror. She walked into the sitting area and stopped in her tracks when she saw who had joined the party.

Sandy was sitting in a chair opposite Eric with several large files in her hand.

****************************************************

_Meanwhile at Felipe's Mansion_

Stan went straight from the airport to the mansion. He was calm, cool and collected as they approached Felipe's palace. As they passed through the gates his phone vibrated, it was Joseph telling him that they had made it to the hotel.

He wasn't sure about Eric and Sookie but he couldn't shake the nagging feeling that he should help them; that he should protect him. Stan was older than he cared to remember and though he had nothing on Eric's age he was old enough to know that you don't dismiss certain feelings. He prided himself on being a true vampire, though he was no monster. Humans were there to sustain his life, to satiate his lust, and nothing more. Every so often he would come across a gifted human, but they were few and far between. When he did cross a gifted human he made sure that they were in his employ, like Barry. As far as humans go, gifted humans that is, Barry wasn't so bad. He had learned quickly the ways of service to Stan. He did his job and he did it well and without complaint. That was big in Stan's mind and he didn't shy away from showing his appreciation to Barry.

As great as Barry was, he was no Sookie. Though she had worked for him just the one time, she had been using her talents far longer than Barry and that made her stronger and shrewder in her assessments. Barry was good, but Sookie was the best. He had not intended to ever let her leave Texas once he saw how valuable she could be but then he had a feeling that he should leave it alone…at least for that moment. Besides, she had left him an unintended present when she let slip about Barry's existence, so he could afford to bide his time as he waited for an opening.

Then Rhodes happened. The first time he had met Sookie he was just a Sheriff but then he was king. When he went to greet Sophie-Ann and Sookie was in the room with her he had been overjoyed at the confirmation of her presence. When she and Barry excused themselves he began bargaining with Sophie-Ann for Sookie. She had been adamant about Sookie staying with her though he thought that she really didn't have much room to stay so obstinate. Her kingdom was in shambles and she needed money _badly_. True she had acquired another kingdom but it wasn't much further off than the one she already had. Stan had money to spare.

They sparred for quite a while over Sookie. Sophie-Ann contended that even if she were of mind to part with Sookie, which she wasn't, there would be no way that she would willingly leave Northman. Though they were not together they had formed quite an attachment and she couldn't see either of them letting the other go. Eric was her biggest money maker at the moment and it was in her best interest to keep him happy.

Stan could understand this but all it really did was spur his intentions further. If he had to gain a Sheriff, especially one as profitable as Eric, in order to gain an asset like Sookie then so be it. He let the matter drop. He would approach Eric and Sookie on his own. He had heard of, and witnessed firsthand, Sookie's stubbornness and her determination to be independent. He could grant her that as long as she willingly did his bidding. Maybe acquiring Eric will give him leverage on keeping her in line.

He didn't like her loud mouth or her feistiness or her unwillingness to learn her place but he could teach her…he would teach her. Right after the bombs exploded Barry and Sookie proved how valuable they were together. He had to take unwilling but forced time to regenerate because he was hurt, but he had come to a decision then to do whatever he had to do in order to acquire Sookie.

He listened to the little voice when it cautioned him. It told him to not steal her. It told him to wait. He wasn't sure what he was waiting for but his intuition had never let him down and he didn't see a reason to doubt it now. When Barry was taken he cursed himself and thought that someone else saw the same value in having both Barry and Sookie together. He used all his resources to find if there was an unknown plot, but there wasn't. He was happy to get a call from the one person he knew would do all she could to get Barry back…Sookie. Or he should say Sookie's camp. It didn't matter because it had the same result. He also wanted to confirm whether she was okay or not. If she too was missing then he would have his answer and because of their bonding then Eric would be the best person to track both captives. But, she wasn't missing and she agreed to come to the banquet he had offered her bonded in her name after Rhodes.

He understood why Eric had refused him because of the takeover. When word of the takeover had reached him he was livid; the only thing that kept him from destroying his house was the information that both Eric and Sookie had survived. That only made his need to have her in his state and under his protection even greater. He wished that Eric would accept the banquet because at the very least he could offer his protection to them; at least that would be like a foot in the door to convincing them to move to Texas.

So much had changed in so little time. Is this why his intuition cautioned him? Sookie was no longer anyone's pawn or asset. She was a powerful being in her own rites now. He couldn't believe what he saw when she and Eric got staked. It was only outdone by their reappearance. When they came down from the heavens he knew that he had been playing with fire and he was glad that he listened to his intuition because it kept him from getting burned.

Now she and her bonded were his allies. They had confirmed a suspension of his. He didn't know why he believed their words so easily but the same feeling that told him to wait had told him to believe and just like then he listened. He still wasn't sure about how he felt knowing that she could read his thoughts but there wasn't anything he could do about it but accept it.

Stan's car pulled up to the front of Felipe's palace to be greeted by douche bag number one, Victor Madden. He never did like Victor and was glad that his days were numbered as sure as Felipe's.

"Good evening King Stan." Victor said with a brilliant smile that made Stan want to knock his fangs out. He bowed his head respectfully.

"Madden." Stan replied. He barely even moved his head in acknowledgement of Madden.

Victor turned to walk back into the palace and Stan's guards closed ranks around him as they moved as one unit behind Victor.

"His Majesty is happy that you have arrived though he wishes that it could have been under better circumstances." Victor went on. "I am glad to see that you made it out unscathed from that brutal attack at the banquet."

"As did you it seems." Was Stan's only response.

"Indeed." Victor replied but then fell into silence. He led Stan into a grand sitting room. It was completely opulent and almost gaudy…it was very Felipe.

"Can I ask you how you managed to escape?" Victor asked suddenly. Stan didn't respond but cocked an eyebrow and Victor hastened his explanation. "It's just that I was barely able to escape it myself, it was very overwhelming. I even thought that I had lost Sandy but she showed up to our hotel later. I had already called Felipe and he summoned us back. We left that same night. Sandy said that it was awful and that she had barely escaped with her life. She was severely wounded but fed on her way back to the hotel but even then I could see that she was weak."

Stan sat in silence as he listened to Victor. He knew that Victor thought that something was fishy but probably couldn't quite put his finger on it. He didn't know what all Victor saw before he'd escaped and he wouldn't be the one to let the cat out of the bag. Besides it was highly inappropriate for him to be questioning a king anyway. Victor needed to learn his place and Stan hoped that it would be him to teach that particular lesson. He decided to answer but kept it short.

"Those of us who stayed fought. We had losses but were able to come out victorious."

He could tell that Victor wanted to say something else but was restraining himself. He kept his eyes steady on Victor silently challenging him to doubt his words. There was no need because a minute later Felipe entered the room.

"King Stan it is so nice to see you." Felipe said cheerfully as he strode across the room. "These are not the best circumstances, but hopefully they will be better by the time you leave."

They both bowed their heads respectfully to each other.

"Thank you." Stan replied. "I would like an update upon what's happened so far. Marcus has not checked in with me since the night of my banquet." He had summoned Joseph back, who made it about an hour before the banquet started, and had Marcus continue in conjunction with Felipe to find Barry.

"Of course." Felipe replied. He seemed to register Victor's presence all of a sudden. "What are you doing here Madden? Where is Sandy?"

"Her secretary came to me and said that Sandy had stepped out and that she hoped that I would be able to greet King Stan upon his arrival."

"Do you know where she went?" Felipe asked. Though his voice was calm everyone could feel his rage.

"Sorry sir, she left no word." Victor replied. "May I be excused so that I can continue my duties?"

They shared a look that Stan didn't miss, but then Felipe waved his hand dismissively. With a low bow to Felipe and a respectful bow to Stan, Victor left the room. They sat in silence for a few minutes as Felipe seemed to be deep in thought. Stan didn't know what that strange look was between Victor and Felipe but he knew that it made him feel uneasy. He locked eyes with the head of his security in a silent signal to be on full guard because something was not right.

Just as Stan was about to speak Felipe seemed to snap out of his reverie, "Oh excuse me Stan." He said. "That's just so unlike Sandy. I hope that nothing is too wrong with her."

Though Stan was sure that Felipe meant to come off caring and concerned he just came off cold and slick, like he was trying to cover something. Stan sat stiffly, on full alert. He silently commanded his guard to do the same. It was situations like this that made him happy that his extra talent as a vampire was silent communication.

"But that's neither here nor there." Felipe continued when Stan didn't reply. "As to our search, we are unable to find any trace of your telepath anywhere in the city. I widened the search to the entire state but there was still nothing. I just don't know where Barry could be, but it's clear to me that he is not in my kingdom."

Stan saw Felipe stiffen for a millisecond and then relax again. There was no doubt that he saw the fire that was burning in his eyes. He couldn't tell whether or not Felipe was lying or not but it didn't matter right now. What mattered right now is that there was still no Barry and now Marcus hasn't checked in though he's always normally diligent to do so.

"And Marcus?" Stan asked. "He has not checked in with me, has he been here?"

"No he hasn't." Felipe answered. He was cool as a cucumber and Stand didn't trust him one bit.

"That makes two of my subordinates that have disappeared in your state, Felipe." Stan said coldly. "That would make most people very suspicious. Wouldn't you agree?"

Felipe recognized the not so veiled implication, and he smiled slightly. "I have no problems with you Stan, if that's what you're implying. Your subjects hold no value to me."

"With an asset like Sookie you can see no value in holding two telepaths that work so well together?" Stan said in a tone that clearly indicated that he didn't believe a word coming out of Felipe's mouth.

"I find that Sookie is more than enough for me." Felipe tried to assure him. "I will not lie and say that I don't see the value in having two telepaths, especially after how they worked together in Rhodes; but it would not be worth war with another state to gain it."

"Still it seems that subjects of other states are not as safe as they may have thought here in this Sin City."

"Your words hurt Stan." Felipe said trying (and failing) to look stung. Stan didn't know what kind of game he was playing but he didn't like it one bit. "I run a very tight ship I can assure you-"

"Yes that's what Barry and Marcus tell me." Stan snapped. He stood up and drew himself to his full height. "I assure you Felipe that I don't take this development lightly. If my security guard and my telepath do not show up _soon_ there will be a major problem on your hands." Stan began to move to the door. Every part of his being was screaming for him to escape this place and he didn't want to wait another minute. He knew that there was danger that had yet to show itself and he would feel better if he had more than ten guards to defend him.

His phone beeped and he looked down to see that there was a text from Joseph that there was a major problem with Sookie and that he needed to call him back 911. That would have to wait; it was time for self preservation right now. He would worry about Sookie when he was away from this place.

He was almost to the door when Felipe spoke again. "I can honestly say that I do understand your frustrations, but threatening me will not solve your problems. Let me make it clear, I do _not_take it well when people threaten me, and I won't stand for it now…not even from you." Felipe was starting to lose his cool but held on long enough to continue speaking. "Sheriff Northman and my telepath have just arrived here tonight. I can assign them to this case. Surely no one would look harder than a friend of Barry's. Since they are here, they can make themselves useful."

"I know that they are here. I gave them a ride." Stan informed him. That uneasy feeling was overtaking him and his guard closed tightly around him. The guard closest to the door was about to reach for the handle when Felipe spoke again.

"Oh, is that right?" Felipe said. His eyes blazed for a second before all life died from them.

"Yes, I'm sure that Sandy and Victor informed you that I offered them my protection." Stan said. In his agitation his voice was colder than usual. "I was already coming here and they informed me that they had been summoned so I offered them a ride on my private jet. Is that a problem?"

"Oh, of course it's not a problem Stan." Felipe answered. A full smile spread across his face. "It's not a problem at all."

"Then if you will excuse me I have some pressing matters to attend to." Stan said. He didn't wait for Felipe's response. He and his guard were through the door in the next second. They quickly made their way to the front of the palace as fast as they could without looking as if they were fleeing.

They reached the front foyer but before they could reach the door Victor appeared.

"Sorry to interrupt your retreat but my king would like for you to stay a little while longer." Victor said with a blinding smile. "If you wouldn't mind, just step this way please."

Stan's entourage reacted immediately. They all instantly tensed and then crouched ready to pounce. Roars erupted from them all.

"It is in your best interest to move Victor before we move you." Stan growled

Victor nodded in head as if in agreement but Stan knew better and he was proven correct and in the next second they were completely surrounded.

'_Fuck!'_ Stan thought. He and his guard produced their weapons. Stan turned slowly around doing a quick count. They were outnumbered five to one, and that was saying something because between the limo and the town car Stan's number was seventeen including him. He felt his phone vibrate but didn't answer it, now was not the time.

All of his fighters were strong and able, and they certainly had a harder time at the banquet but this was a little different. At the banquet it wasn't a group completely concentrated on them specifically. His vampire senses told him that there were even more forces waiting out of view. They were trapped and he knew it.

"Like I said King Stan, King Felipe would like for you to stay a while."

Stan barred his teeth. He remembered how Eric said that if he needed help just to call out and so he did. _'Eric I don't know if you can hear me or not but this was a trap, we are surrounded.' _There was no time to wait for an answer. No other words were needed and he brought his sword up to the ready position. He gave silent direction to his guard so that they were all on the same page and then Stan and his sixteen did what they did best and attacked.

****************************************************

_Back at the hotel…_

Eric eyes dilated slightly when he looked at Sookie fully dressed. Though her eyes were taking in the scene before her, the feelings that Eric was sending made her blush. There was a make shift grouping of the chairs so that everyone could sit and see each other. Eric was the natural head sitting on one side of a love seat. Bill, Pam, and Joseph were sitting on a luxurious couch and Sandy was sitting in an armchair opposite Eric.

"Come on in Lover; it seems Sandy has something she would like to discuss with us."

She walked over to Eric and took off her hat. "Well don't you look delectable Lover?" Eric purred as she reached him.

"Thank you." Sookie blushed he was glad that she had left her jacket undone so she could just sit. Pam's eyes seemed to sparkle as she took Sookie's appearance in and Bill actually licked his lips. Well, at least her outfit was a hit.

"Yes Don, please join us." Pam smiled. Sookie rolled her eyes as she took the open seat next to Eric.

Eric turned back to Sandy. "Now that we are all here you can start."

Sandy nodded her head and took an unneeded breath. She seemed to need the time to calm herself and gather her thoughts. Sookie thought about just reading her mind so that she will know what was going on.

'_I've already done that Lover.'_ Eric said. _'I think that you should hear her out as she tells it. She has quite a story.'_

They waited in silence as Sandy gathered her thoughts. Sookie had never seen Sandy so, so, so _less_ than perfect. She didn't seem like the cold heartless ice queen that she had met before. Eric's words had made her even more curious but she trusted Eric and she patiently waited for Sandy to say what she had to on her own; besides if she wasn't satisfied at the end then she could just dip into her mind then.

"I am a great worker." Sandy began. "I do my job, whatever is required of me by the king. I keep my professional life professional and my private life private. That's the way I work and that's the way I prefer to keep things.

"I have many to satisfy my needs, men and women. I try to keep from forming attachments with any of them and I have been very successful, except with one, Delilah. I found Delilah eight and a half years ago. She was getting off from work at a hospital and walking to her car. Before she could reach it she was attacked by five thugs. They drug her into an alleyway and began to beat her and rip her clothes off. By the time I walked by the alley she had been raped by three of the five men. Her body was broken and she was bleeding badly. Her blood is the reason I was drawn there.

"Usually I would just drain everyone and be done with it but when I got to her there was something familiar in her eyes and face. Her eyes were the same rich brown as my best friend; and though her face was already beginning to swell she reminded me of my servant's daughter Rochelle. Rochelle was my best friend as a child. Though she was black and was not allowed to be taught she was still nice and fun to be around. She was my best friend and when we were of age, she became my personal servant. I didn't like her servitude to me so I treated her like family. She was more family to me than my real mother and father.

"Anyway to shorten this story, that was the reason why I chose to save her instead of drain her. I healed as many of her wounds as I could before I took her to the hospital. I stayed with her through the night. She lost consciousness and they put her into a drug induced coma because her internal trauma was so bad. I glamoured them into letting me stay by her side. I debated about turning her, but every time I looked in her face I saw my childhood friend and I just couldn't do it…not without her permission.

"It took two months for them to bring her out of her coma and then it took another six and a half days for her to wake up. She asked me if I was her angel and I laughed and then explained to her what I was. I was surprised when she wasn't afraid of me. When I asked her about it she said that even if I wasn't an angel I was still her angel and she could never fear someone who she owed her life to. I helped her heal and she stayed with me. We traveled together and we became lovers as well as friends. Though she shied away from men completely, I worked with her until she could stand to at the very least be in the same room with them without having a panic attack. She is no lover of men.

"She's been well enough to attend some parties with me when King Felipe has hosted events." She took a deep breath to steady herself and Sookie could see the bloody tears tint her eyes though she didn't let them fall. "Felipe has desired her from the first time that he saw her. I explained that she is mine and that she is no lover of men and he seemed to let it go. He sent Victor and I to the banquet in Texas. I thought that it would be a good chance for Delilah to get out of the state for a while, but I was commanded to come alone. He said that it would be pointless to bring a companion because our entire nights would be spent working. He didn't want us to be distracted by anyone or anything. I am dutiful to my king and I accepted his command without complaint.

"We were summoned back to Las Vegas the same night of the banquet. When we were released to go home I found Delilah on the floor in a huddled mass. My nose was instantly assaulted by the scent of her blood. She had been raped. Her womb was torn and though she had been cleaned up I could still smell his scent. I asked her what happened and she said that she went to Felipe and she seduced him. He told her no and that if she wanted him then she would have to leave me and go to him officially. She came back to our home and she washed herself off."

Sookie gasped and her hand covered her mouth as she put two and two together. Her eyes began to water silver as her heart broke for Delilah all over again. Sookie would not have described Sandy as warm by any sense of the word but she seemed to be just was Delilah needed. Sandy smiled at her bitterly.

"She is not a lover of men." Sandy repeated. "She had to drink quite a bit from me in order to heal her wounds."

Eric wrapped his arms around Sookie before he spoke. "I can sympathize with what you are feeling Sandy; but why is it exactly that you are here? What can we do for you?"

"I want to be granted immunity into you kingdom with an order of protection for my lover." She said slowly as she looked Eric directly in his eyes.

"I am not king, Felipe is." Eric said. "I do not have a kingdom."

"I am not stupid Mr. Northman." Sandy replied. "At the banquet when everyone was attacked I was there. I fought and unlike Victor I didn't run. I am no coward. I saw you and your bonded get speared. I saw you and you bonded descend from the sky in a great gold and silver orb. I was still there when the two of you began to fight. I finally left and made my way back to my hotel. Victor was already there. My mind was racing with all that I had seen. I dared not tell Victor what I saw because I didn't want that leech to take all the credit for something he was too cowardly to witness himself. Too much was going on when we met Felipe to tell him what I saw. It was too close to sun up and I had to get to the safety of my home. That's when I found Delilah's violated body on the floor.

"I cannot leave Felipe's employ, I know too much about too many things."

"I can understand that Sandy but I have to ask you again what makes you think that I will be king. You yourself just admitted that Felipe knows nothing about the power that Sookie and I wield." Eric pressed. He already knew the answer but he wanted her to say the words.

"I could kill him, but then I would be killed and it will leave Delilah unprotected and I can't have that. I cannot leave because I know too much and he will think that I will spill his secrets, and again I will be killed and leave Delilah unprotected. You are my best option. What if I told you that this whole visit is a trap to kill you, your bonded, your child, and your loyal Mr. Compton?"

"I would say that you have my attention." Eric replied.

Sandy pulled a large briefcase from the side of her chair. She pulled out several large files and rifled through them. She came to a big one and then stood and handed it to Eric.

Eric opened it to find page after page of everything that pertained to him; all his holdings and assets. This included Pam, Bill, and Sookie.

As he looked through the file, with Sookie over his shoulder, Sandy continued to speak. "I am in charge of gathering information. The night of the banquet Felipe was visited by a seer. She told him that basically he would have to bow to a rising power. She didn't out right say your name but with the other information she gave it led him to believe that it would be you that he would have to bow to. She told him that the window was getting smaller and that if he didn't kill you before you acquired your new power then it would be too late and there would no longer be a choice. He ordered everything I had already gathered on you and that's when he summoned you. You are here to die."

"Wow," Eric said as he finally closed the file. It wasn't all his assets but about half of them. Still it was very impressive that Sandy was able to dig up that much of them. "This is all very impressive Sandy I must say; but why do I have a feeling that there is more?"

"Because there is," Sandy replied. "Louisiana was just the first step in Felipe's grand plans." She pulled out more files. She handed a thick one to Joseph. "This one concerns you." She told him.

Bill and Pam both grabbed files and began to look through them. Sookie didn't bother but opened her mind to them all so that she could hear what they read and she was in complete shock. Felipe had been a bad, _bad_ boy.

"Since Louisiana Felipe has had me gathering all the information I could on every state." She said as she began to arrange the files into different piles. "This pile are the ones that are viable for the next take over and your file belongs on this pile." She pointed to Joseph. Joseph's whole body stilled with rage as he tried to process the words from Sandy's mouth. He whipped out his phone and began to text furiously.

"I was supposed to be there to meet with King Stan when he arrived tonight but I thought that this was my only chance to get to you." She looked back at Eric. "You may not want to be king but please, _please_ reconsider. I saw you, you can kill him. Some of these I know are friends of yours Eric. Will you be loyal to your friends or to the king that I assure you will try to kill you."

'_What do you think Eric?'_Sookie asked.

'_I don't find any deceit in her mind.'_ Eric replied. _'And these files can be a big help with the rest of the vampire community. No one can fight the logic that Felipe was a threat to everyone's peace.'_

'_I agree with you. I want to rip his balls off and hand deliver them to Delilah.'_

'_Then we are agreed.'_ Eric replied. "It seems that you have compelled us to act."

"Has Stan called you back?" Sookie asked Joseph. "If his state was at the top of Felipe's list then he may be in danger."

"He has yet to respond to me." Joseph responded and then he got up and began to pace around the room looking at his phone, just willing it to ring or vibrate.

Eric and Sookie shared a look. _'It could be too late for him.'_ They thought at the same time.

"We will act." Eric stated.

"What do you need from me?" Sandy answered immediately.

"Do you have these files saved to a disk?" Sandy nodded. "Make three copies for me. Other than that stay as clear as you can of Felipe. Be ready, I will call to you when I need you."

"Do you need my cell number?" She asked as she began closing up her brief case.

"I won't need it. My call to you will be unmistakable." Eric replied. "Is Delilah well enough to travel?"

"Yes." Sandy said as she quirked her head to the side.

"Get her on a plane _now_ to Louisiana. I will have a guard meet her at the airport and they will guard her until you come to her after this is all over."

"I cannot," Sandy protested. "She is even more skittish around men, she will not do well with them…even if they don't touch or speak to her."

"I will make sure that the guards are women." Eric nodded to Pam who pulled out her phone and began making calls. "Go now, and stay out of sight. Stay as mobile as you can once you've completed your tasks."

Sandy turned for the door but then paused and turned back to look at Eric and the Sookie. "Thank you." Before they could respond, she was out of the door.

"Anything Joseph?" Eric asked.

Joseph growled "No!"

"We need to go, try again." Eric said. "Pam, Bill are you prepared?" They both nodded and stood.

Pam was dressed beautifully in a simply lilac pantsuit. Bill had on khakis with a simple white dress shirt. The first two buttons were undone. They both looked simply dressed but from the pictures in their head as they mentally tallied their weapons Sookie knew that they were both heavily armed. Sookie and Eric stood too and she finally noticed that he was wearing the Armani shirt he had tricked her into choosing. Honestly who knew that a simple shirt could cost two hundred and fifty dollars?

Joseph growled in frustration when he tried to call Stan this time but still got no answer. "Fuck, it went straight to voice mail!"

"Let's go!" Eric ordered and immediately all the guards were standing behind him and Sookie. Bill and Pam gathered all of the files in their arms. Sookie replaced the hat onto her head and they all headed for the door.

They piled into the freight elevator and were going down. Eric's mind was gearing up for battle while Sookie thought more about Stan. He was their first ally and she didn't want to lose him. Would they ever be bosom buddies? No, but that didn't change the fact that he didn't hesitate to stand by their side and that's exactly what she was going to do for him.

"Eric do you think that we could do a net to try and find Stan?" Sookie asked Eric as the elevator continued its slow descent.

"It's worth a shot." Eric replied. He grabbed her hand and they closed their eyes and began to slowly throw their minds out around them. They hadn't gotten very far when they reached the lobby and had to walk again. "Fuck, we will try it again in the car."

"Should we alert the others to the situation?" Bill asked as they approached the front desk.

"I've got it." Eric replied to him before turning to the clerk. "I am Eric Northman, there should be a car waiting for me."

The clerk was about twenty one or so with black shoulder length hair that had the top pulled into a bun and the back hung down with a slight curl. She was slim and attractive, even if she did wear slightly too much make up. Sookie wasn't trying to dip into the girls mind but she was a strong broadcaster.

'_Sweet merciful God that man is sexy.'_She mentally drooled. "Eric Northman, I see it right here. It will just be a moment please while we bring your car to the front. If you wouldn't mind signing here for it?"

Eric signed the paper after a quick scan. "Thank you sir, if you will just hold a moment I will alert you to when your car is here." Eric nodded but then turned his back to the desk and pulled out his cell phone to text Arsinoe.

'_Man I would love to have just one night with him. Hell I'd drink his bath water.'_ She continued to broadcast as Joseph repeated the same sequence Eric went through to get his car. _'I wonder if he's available. Who gives a shit? I don't want to marry him I just want to lock him up for a good decade and fuck his brains out.'_

It was then that Sookie stepped forward. The clerk jumped slightly as she just barely registered Sookie's presence. Sookie smiled conspiratorially at the girl and looked pointedly at Eric. The girl smiled back and licked her lips.

"I want one of those for Christmas." The girl muttered to Sookie as she shifted her gaze around to make sure no one heard her.

It was then that Sookie realized that the girl didn't realize that Eric and the others were vampires. She's got to be new to town…

"I better stop looking or my husband may catch me." Sookie whispered back.

The girl giggled. "That's too bad for you. I don't have a husband and I don't want one. What I want is him for a few rounds."

"Trust me it's worth it." Sookie said nodding her head emphatically. "At least that's what I've heard about vampires."

They clerks eyes grew wide as saucers. "_He's_ a vampire?"

"Of course honey didn't you know?" The girl shook her head. "They _all _are."

The girl squealed with delight. "I can't believe it, my first week on the job and I have _vampires_." The phone gave a loud ring and it spooked the clerk making her jump slightly. She answered it. "Gentle men all of your cars are waiting out front. Please have a good night."

Everyone began to walk off leaving Sookie at the desk. Eric stopped and turned back. With an easy smile that made the clerk forget to breathe Eric held his hand out towards Sookie. "Would you care to join me?" Sookie had to stifle a smile when she heard the clerk gasp.

Sookie looked back to the girl. "Screw it. If anyone asks you haven't seen me. I'm bagging me a vampire tonight." Sookie winked at the astonished clerk before practically jumping to Eric's hand.

"What about your husband?" The clerk called after her.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt him." Sookie replied before disappearing outside.

Outside Sookie saw Identical SUVs' parked out front. "Wow Eric what are those?" Sookie asked as he opened the door to the backseat for her.

"They are Mercedes-Benz GL 450's. Do you like them?" He asked with a curious expression.

"Not nearly as much as I like my Navigator but it's still nice." Sookie said.

"Yes I too prefer the Navigator but it's good to change it up every so often." He replied then closed her door.

There was a guard driving with Joseph in the front seat and Pam, Bill and a second guard took up the third row. Eric slid easily in next to Sookie.

"What did Arsinoe say?" Sookie asked as she took off her hat for the ride.

"You didn't hear?" Eric teased. "Where you too busy tormenting the poor clerk? You really should learn to multi-task Lover."

Sookie rolled her eyes. "Just tell me what she said please."

"Well since you said please." Eric nodded at her as if that had made all the difference in the world. "She said that they are mobilized and will await my call."

Sookie nodded her understanding. This was really it.

"Would you really leave your husband for a vampire?" Eric asked innocently.

"For the one I saw in the lobby?" Sookie paused to pretend to ponder the question seriously. "In a heartbeat…just don't tell him I said that."

"Your secret is safe with me." Eric assured her with a sly look and a flirtatious smile. Sookie was glad that Eric was joking with her because it really helped clear some of the tension she was feeling.

"Oh can you two please give me a fucking break already?" Joseph heaved out of frustration. "My king is probably dead and you two want to walk down fucking lovebird's lane?"

Sookie winced at the accusation in Joseph's biting tone. She was feeling guilty that others thought that they weren't serious about the task at hand. Though she also felt quite pissed that Joseph would say such a thing, hell they were all in this together. Both of these feelings were swirling around her fighting for dominance and all the tension that Eric's playful banter seemed to crash right back down on her.

Eric growled and then quicker that Sookie could have imagined Eric had pulled a dagger and placed it at Joseph's throat with the blade pressing into his skin.

"Listen to me you loud mouth fuck." Eric growled. "Don't you ever again disrespect my bonded in such a manner. She does not deserve your hostility. If you weren't such a self centered fuck you would be able to see that she has never been through anything like this before and that makes her nervous. So if I want to calm my bonded down with playful banter then so fucking be it; and if you ever speak to us like that again you will get this same speech with less words and more cuts."

Sookie laid her hand on Eric's shoulder and tried to push calm towards him in the bond; but that's what made Sookie shiver. Eric was already perfectly calm and in control, and he was perfectly serious.

Joseph growled again and then nodded his head with a slight jerk. None of the guards even flinched in their seats at Eric's outburst.

Eric sat back in his seat and after another moment he stowed his weapon once more. Sookie grabbed Eric's hand and squeezed it twice. "Maybe we should try to find Stan again." Sookie suggested.

Eric just nodded his assent and the gripped each other's hand slightly tighter. As they began to reach out and net together all the minds of the city around them they both gasped. Not because they had found Stan, they hadn't. They gasped because he had found them.

'_Eric I don't know if you can hear me or not but this was a trap, we are surrounded.' _Stan's mental voice sounded in their minds.

Both Eric and Sookie let go of the net and tried to focus on Stan's voice but could no longer hear anything. They began to see pictures of the many faces that surrounded Stan's group. _Victor_ was there. They heard Stan divvy up their attackers before his mind went blank. They had attacked.

"Fuck!" Eric said as they tried and failed to pick up on Stan's mind again. "Step on it!"

"What did you find?" Pam asked because no one else had the balls to do so.

"Stan called out to us to tell us that his meeting was a trap and that he was surrounded." Eric replied.

Joseph growled harshly and pounded his fists into the dash…effectively breaking it. "Is he still alive?" Joseph asked though Sookie could see that in his mind it had almost killed him to ask.

"We don't know. His mind has gone blank." Sookie answered. "The only reason I can think of for that would be because he was either knocked out or…dead." She didn't want to say the last word but she had to bitch up and spit it out.

"Or he could not be thinking about his actions and just fighting on instinct." Eric offered as he felt the twinge of sadness when Sookie thought about Stan's possible death.

The driving guard literally put the pedal to the metal as they sped out of town towards Felipe's compound. In what should have taken them thirty minutes to drive took them only ten and then the palace was in sight. The buzz of minds swirled around Sookie the closer that they got.

She squeezed Eric's hand as they neared the residence and she threw up a shield. She had already heard what all the minds were thinking on. They were wrapped up in their blood lust. Most of them were thinking about relief and small orgies began popping up all over the palace. Unfortunately none of the minds inside were thinking about the outcome of the fight or what had happened to Stan and his guard.

Eric didn't shy away from the thoughts of other vampires like Sookie did. It wasn't painful to let so many in though it was not particularly that comforting. He let the thoughts flow through him as he had once taught Sookie so that he could use her gift on vampires. He was looking for one person in particular and he found someone who was number two on his hit list…Victor.

As they neared the gates they opened for them upon approached. Sookie did what came natural to her in a situation like this; she began to count the beings inside.

"There are four groupings underground, one of twenty, one of fifteen, and two with ten. Above ground there are several large clumps but I count seventy total vampires, thirty seven were's and around a hundred or so humans…give or take a few." Sookie determined shrewdly.

Eric flipped out his phone and sent a quick text message. Sookie saw from his mind that it was to Arsinoe relaying Sookie's count. He knew that she was secretly pleased that he hadn't mastered the art of counting different minds.

There was an ominous feel in the air. Though they could feel all the different brain patterns that were circling the mansion, there was not a soul in sight, not even the guards who are supposed to be posted at the gate to screen callers.

Eric quickly sent off another text to Arsinoe before stowing it in his pants pocket. Their SUV slowly wound its way up to the mansion. Sookie knew that what she was seeing was quite lovely and extremely impressive but she could not see the beauty in the building. This building was Felipe's crown jewel and that alone made it ugly. She felt disgust and dislike flow through her with an intensity that she had only felt whenever she thought about the initial takeover of Louisiana.

Felipe was a monster. He held no respect for anyone life but his own. He couldn't even be loyal to those that swore fealty to him. Maybe this was just a self fulfilling prophecy. Maybe if Felipe would not have decided to kill them to keep from having to bow down he would have found that she and Eric had no interest in becoming king and queen. Truthfully they could do what they were called to do without being king and queen. It certainly would've made it easier to travel around to bond with the different supernatural groups because they wouldn't be tied into one place.

All of that was neither here nor there because it really didn't matter anymore. A small smirk played across Sookie's mouth as she sat a little bit straighter in her seat. Though she was still in the car she slid her hat back onto her head. She reached beside her and took Eric's hand in her own. She opened the bond as far as she could while keeping their explosive energy intact. She could feel Eric doing the same. They both turned their head slightly and looked one another in the eye.

'_We've come.'_Sookie stated.

They both looked out to Sookie's side of the SUV as they came to a stop in front of Felipe's palace. The guards from the second SUV quickly surrounded the first in protective postures.

'_We see.'_ Eric replied with a smirk of his own.

"We will conquer." They said to each other out loud. Everyone inside and outside the cab looked at them.

"We will conquer." They repeated.

TBC

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A/N: I am aware that some of this may seem redundant to some but I still have to say them. Like I know that I am putting off writing the actual confrontation with Felipe and E/S because I am afraid to write it. Fight scenes makes me very nervous when its time to write them. Though because I have virtually walked E/S to Felipe's front door, there's no way to avoid it anymore *sigh*. Just a few other things:

1) Sookie's body went into a kind of hibernation when Eric woke. In the absence of the air her body needed, her body just shut down in order to protect itself. It was an accident but it was still pretty irresponsible of both Eric and Sookie. They are both weak from their ordeal not to mention all the emotional trauma with Bill and their bodies needed to regenerate and for Sookie that would include oxygen, but as I said it was accidental. They both just needed to rest and the fact that his coffin was air tight is not something that Eric thinks about from day to day. And before you ask no the lack of oxygen will not have a lasting effect on Sookie (beyond the stiff feeling in her limbs I mean). The stronger and more control of her powers she has then the less time it will take for her to regain consciousness if it ever happened again.

2) You guessed it. When Andre saw the determination Stan had to gain Sookie it made him think. He knew that Stan would do absolutely anything to get Sookie. He decided to solve that problem. THIS is the reason Andre tried to bind Sookie to him with a blood bond.

3) I dressed Sookie the way I did because I had just finished watching The Godfather Part II and I was still in a Godfather kind of mood when I was writing. Sookie likes the outfit because it reminds her of Michael Corleone and Michael Corleone represents power and level headedness (is that a word?) and is the picture of someone who is in control. Eric laid this outfit out because he knew that that's the type of thing she needed to feel at the moment.

OKAY I THINK THAT IS EVERYTHING STAY TUNED FOR THE BATTLE. I HAVE BEEN SHOWING A LOT OF ERIC'S SOFTER SIDES BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT SOOKIE SEES, BUT MAKE NO MISTAKES HE HIS STILL A RUTHLESS VAMPIRE AND A TIGER CAN'T CHANGE HIS STRIPES. SO LOOK FORWARD TO MORE OF A BAD ASS ERIC IN THE NEXT CHAPTER.

I KNOW THAT I'M THROWING A LOT OUT SO PLEASE ASK QUESTIONS IF YOU NEED TO. I WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTION THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

REMEMBER REVIEWS HELP ME WRITE SO THE MORE REVIEWS I GET THEN THE FASTER THE WRITING PROCESS WILL GO. THE FASTER THE WRITING PROCESS GOES THEN THE FASTER THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE OUT FOR YOUR PLEASURE. SO REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I do not own ANY of the characters that appear in ANY of the Charlaine Harris books, everyone else belong to me.

A/N: Okay everyone I would like to apologize for taking so long before posting this chapter. I can only say that I was having some big problems trying to write it out. This was originally going to be longer but I decided to shorten it in order to put it out faster (and so that I will be able to sleep without thoughts for the chapter swirling in my head).

Just to state the obvious, there is no way that this is going to be done anywhere near in time before the next book comes out. So everyone please enjoy it because I know I will. Thanks for showing your support and concern. Please enjoy.

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ATL CH22

As they stepped out of the car, the world seemed ominously quiet around them. It was as if nature was acknowledging the seriousness of what was about to go down. They stepped into the opening that the guards gave them and they began to move forward. Pam, Bill, and Joseph stepped in behind Eric and Sookie and the guard closed the circle behind them.

Normally guests would be greeted upon arrival and then escorted into the mansion but that didn't happen. This made them all uneasy because they all had the same thought. _What if they are not greeting us because they are distracted with Stan....?_

Everyone quickened their pace, not even stopping when they reached the front door. The guard just pushed the fifteen foot doors open and stepped through. The palace was in complete chaos.

There were people and vampires running in every direction, each in a hurry to get where they are trying to go. The maid staff was trying to clean the entrance of glass and fallen plaster and debris and what were most certainly disintegrated vampires.

For several moments they stood taking in the complete disarray that the palace was in. No one even noticed their presence; that however didn't last very long. Six vampires jumped in front of them growling and baring their teeth, all crouched and ready to spring. In the next moment seven were's that were already transformed into their wolf persona's did the exact same thing.

The rear guard turned to face the wolves while the front remained planted to face off with the vampires. Eric crouched ready to defend against the vampires and without a thought Sookie turned to cover his back against the wolves.

"Stop this!" A slimy voice ordered and instantly both the vampires and the wolves both quieted and straightened. Victor came quickly down what looked to be a grand staircase whose banister had suffered heavy blows. "Northman, Sookie," he said as if they were long lost friends that he hadn't seen in decades. "Compton and lovely Pam welcome; though as you can see we are under a bit of stress."

"Stress?" Eric said as he began searching minds to find Stan. "I would say that this is a bit more than stress."

"Indeed," Victor conceded. "We are under attack." When none of them reacted he continued with a suspicious eye until they fell upon Joseph. "Mr. Velasquez is it?" He asked without waiting for a reply from Joseph. "You will need to come with me."

Joseph didn't move and neither Eric, Sookie, nor any of the guard moved to make a clear path to him.

"Seize him!" Victor ordered and once again the six vampires and seven wolves began growling and moving from side to side trying to determine the best place to attack.

Eric's guard all roared harshly in unison and closed their ranks just a bit. Pam and Bill left the center of the circle and joined in the line of the guards, now only Eric, Sookie and Joseph remained as the focal point.

"What is the meaning of this?" Victor demanded. His eyes were glowing with indignation at their audacity of defying him.

"The meaning of this is that Joseph is not leaving our sides." Eric answered coolly. "Where is Stan?"

Victor's eyes grew and then he recovered himself and began nodding his head though the question he was asked was not a yes or no question.

"Northman," Victor said carefully. "Have you betrayed your king?"

Eric smirked. "Have you?"

Victor's eyes seemed to harden just a bit but his smile never left his face. "I told you once how this would end. Nothing has changed, just like then you still have no support; and now that you are away from home you have even less than before."

"Where is Stan?" Eric repeated.

Victor seemed intent on drawing out his time before answering. From his thoughts Eric and Sookie could hear that he was forming a plan and several contingencies. Interestingly enough these same contingencies have been in place for quite a while, he was just rearranging them for the present situation. He never thought that Northman would be bold enough to walk his treachery straight into the door. As much as he hated him he had to respect that.

Victor reached into his pocket and began to finger a device. Eric could hear the clicks of his fingers against the plastic in his pocket, but it seemed to be an absent thing. He wasn't thinking about what the plastic thing was, but the act of playing with it seemed to help him focus.

Panic button.

"I wouldn't do that." Eric said warningly as he tensed.

Victor's eyes seemed to grow unbelievingly wide before he recovered himself. He pulled the plastic device out of his pocket. His eyes moved between Eric and Sookie, thinking that they had some kind of communication going on between them, perhaps from the bond they share. More importantly it meant that Sookie may now be able to read the minds of vampires. If these two things were not true then how would Eric seem to know the danger that lay within his hand? Interesting….

Eric moved his hand slightly behind his body and focused, in the next moment he was gripping his dagger. At the moment he wanted nothing more than to carve Victor's heart from his chest…very _very _slowly. He should, and most likely _would,_ do something even worse for thinking he could steal Sookie away and bond with her. Eric could already see the plans flowing through Victor's mind…another contingency.

Three things then happened in rapid succession. First Victor pushed the button. Secondly, Eric threw the dagger at Victor's heart. Thirdly, one of the vampires in front of Eric jumped at Eric in attack inadvertently catching the dagger in his shoulder. The dagger sailed right through him but it was enough to allow Victor to duck. In the next moment the remaining vampires and wolves all attacked. The vampire that caught Eric's dagger was nothing more than a pile of dust and his comrades didn't even spare him a second thought.

Victor disappeared back up the stairway with two vampires suddenly on his heels. As badly as Eric wanted to go after him he refused to leave those in his charge unprotected. Eric and the guard made quick work of the vampires before them but that didn't stop others from jumping into the fray.

_'Arsinoe attack!'_ Eric sent.

He may have done it a bit too forcefully because Arsinoe replied with a moan and an exasperated _'Will be with you in less than two minutes'_. They had mobilized but it would still take time to get to the palace.

Eric was in his element as more and more vampires jumped forward to their deaths. He loved the feel of their breaking bones under his hands. He loved how he didn't have to power up to be a bringer of destruction. It even delighted him to hear the thoughts of the guards at his efficiency and how glad that they were fighting with him instead of against him.

A wolf lunged through the occupied guard at Sookie; more of them came in from the yard to join in the fight. Bill however caught him around the neck and broke it. "A deal is a deal." He said and then turned to face the rest of the wolves. Another leapt for Sookie but this time Bill was just as occupied as the rest of the rear guard and Pam. His powerful jaws were open as they prepared to close around her throat. Sookie studied him as the sharp teeth gleamed in the light and his rigid muscles seemed to relax enough to allow his mouth to open impossibly wider. When he was just inches from purchase Sookie grabbed both sides of his muzzle. She took a step back to absorb the energy from his attack. He twisted his head back and forth trying to shake her hands off and growling at the way his teeth gave no purchase to Sookie's skin.

She could feel the pressure he was using to clamp down on her hands but she felt no pain. She tightened her grip on his muzzle and a loud moan slipped from the wolf. It felt odd to Sookie. With the slightest twitch of her hands the muscle in the wolf's mouth dissolved as if it were made from butter. His bottom jaw easily separated from his head. Sookie looked at the mandible in her hand and then back at the wolf; she could see the light leaving his eyes but couldn't stand to see the pain there too. So with another twitch of her hand she snapped his neck. He felt no more pain.

As soon as he was gone another were took his place. Pam, who was standing next to Sookie, landed a kick to the muzzle of the wolf she was fighting. He was knocked onto his back but instead of attacking again, he let out a loud wail; Sookie caught from the workings of his mind that it was a call to all the other were's on the grounds who hadn't figured out that the fight had already begun.

'_It doesn't matter,'_ Sookie thought, '_let them all come. They will all meet the same fate.'_ Their circle continued like that as they slowly moved further into the mansion. The maid's smartly got out of dodge as more and more supes got into the fight. Eric and Sookie mirrored each other as their circle slowly turned in slow circles battling everyone; they both could feel the pulling of the other's presence.

Sookie began to fight on autopilot as a surge of brain activity tickled the edge of her mind. So far all she could tell is that it was not on the ground level. They were far away but getting closer rapidly.

Fighters both vampire and were alike were attacking their battling circle harshly. No one had pulled a weapon yet. Eric was having too much fun beheading people, "the old fashion way", as he thought about it and didn't even care that it left him drenched in the blood of his fallen. He was throwing blows quicker than his adversaries could block. He was fighting two vampires when he felt the same twitch on the edges of his mind that Sookie had. He saw an opening and he quickly landed a kick to the sternum of one vampire, making him fly several feet away. The second vampire thought that he saw an opening to cripple Eric. Before he could even make a move on his opening Eric planted his knee in the vampire's chest, and with a big smile he gripped his head tightly with both hands. Eric paused in that position for just a moment long enough for the vampire's hyper senses to catch up with what was going on, and then the ripped his head from his shoulders before he could even twitch in defense. The vamp's blood flew everywhere as Eric threw the severed head at another vampire that was about to take his fallen comrades place.

There seemed to be a pause for Eric and Sookie in the middle of the mayhem where they both took a step back to the eye of their circle and the guard, Pam, Bill, and Joseph closed ranks around them. They turned to each other and reached out at the same time. They reached below with their minds to where now there was a steady stream of minds coming in from underground.

They were all in a snarl of excitement, determination, fury, and they all had one thing on their minds: killing the intruders.

_'Fuck!'_ Eric snarled in his mind.

"Fuck!" Sookie said out loud. That was enough for their cohorts. They didn't need to know the reason, all they cared about was that something was going on and it was bad enough to cause Sookie to curse.

Swords and knives and all manner of weapons were pulled out from every imaginable spot and the guard went from serious to deadly in the span of two seconds. Joseph couldn't resist he had to know if his king was okay.

"Is it Stan?" He asked as he turned to Eric and Sookie, Pam and Bill closed in the gap he left. "Is he alright?"

"It's not Stan." Eric said as his mind swirled trying to make a plan. "We still haven't located him though we are sure he's somewhere underground. They problem is that Victor managed to push his panic button and a rapid stream of vampires are coming in from a secret passage below and Arsinoe is still," he paused for a moment and reached out to Arsinoe's mind to see how far out she was. "Fifty-six seconds out but we have less than half that before this entire place is overrun."

"We have got to find Stan, if whoever has him realize that there is danger they will kill him and go for safety." Joseph said.

Of course he was right but the palace was filling up fast. They would need to split up.

"Sookie take everyone with you and go find Stan." Eric said. "I will go after Victor and Felipe."

"I'm not leaving you Eric." Pam said. Eric was about to protest but Pam continued speaking before he could utter another word. "I have stood by you my entire existence and I am not going anywhere now. Everyone else can go with Sookie, I will stay with you." She seemed to emphasize her point by cutting off the head of a vampire at the end of her sentence.

Eric wanted to argue but there was no time. They had to get moving and to be honest it really didn't matter who went with whom as long as everyone in their party was with one of them.

"Fine," Eric said and then turned back to Joseph. "Get going." He raised his voice a bit, speaking to the rest of the guard. "Go with Sookie and Joseph, find your king."

"Be careful." Sookie murmured as she took a step away from Eric and towards Joseph.

Eric smiled wryly. "Be indestructible." He replied.

Sookie took off in the opposite direction of the grand staircase that Victor used before to disappear. Pam backed slowly until her back brushed against Eric's arm and her sword was at the ready. Las Vegas Vampires and wolves closed in around them. The entire entry way was filled. The vampires that were summoned from the panic button had reached the surface. Eric checked Sookie's minds and he could see that she was fighting, she hadn't powered up but they were fighting their way down. Arsinoe was still thirty seconds away.

"This looks like fun." Pam stated.

Eric smiled as he turned his back to Pam and summoned his sword. "You know it's only the best for you my child."

Pam smiled wryly. "You do treat me so well. Are you ready to have some fun?"

"Of course I am Pam, just like old times." Eric said. "How many?"

Pam surveyed their opponents that began producing their own weaponry and were slowly moving in on them, closing their circle of death tighter. "Twice as many as you, as always; you?"

"Three times as many, as always." Eric said without blinking his eye.

Pam giggled like a school girl. "Finally, you are going down this time _Master._"

"We shall see _Child_."

Their bets were made and each knew what they would demand upon their win. Pam was always eager to show how the student had surpassed the master. Eric loved showing her that he was the master for a reason.

Pam's first victim stepped up and was quickly separated from his head. Pam's strike was lightening fast as she caused heads to fly like freshly cut grass from the blade of a lawn mower. Bodies piled and flaked to ash at her feet as the surrounding vampires and wolves stepped over their fallen cohorts. She needs to be the best. She will be the best. There was no other choice for her. Eric had bested her since he brought her into this existence and, being the crazy competitive person she was, it drove her absolutely crazy.

Though if she had to lose she would want to do it to no one but Eric, but she didn't want to lose. She wanted to best her teacher, her friend, her maker. Just the thought of the possibility created a spark in her eye and she moved a few paces away from Eric creating a larger circle but not large enough for anyone to sneak in from behind. Her eyes gleamed in the eye of the battle; this is where she wanted to be, fighting by Eric's side.

Eric couldn't have made a better child for himself than Pam. She fit him in almost every way. No one fit him better, except Sookie. She relished in the sound of her sword cutting through bone, it seemed to spur her on to move faster and faster. Her movements were almost a blur.

Felipe's army fought valiantly as they bravely stepped forward to get mowed down. They were true and loyal to an undeserving king; most didn't agree or even like him but they were good subjects and they were loyal. They sank within themselves and mustered all the fighting skills that they possessed. The woman, Pam, moved further away from the Viking as she moved blindingly fast…even for a vampire. She was exceptional and she was a worthy adversary.

If Pam was moving blindingly fast then Eric wasn't moving at all; he seemed to be posing. Yes, he seemed to be the easier kill though he managed to keep them away. He posed over and over again with his sword above his head, down by his feet, or arms length to the left or right of his body. They crowded him as they tried to take him on in twos and threes. They were confused they were disappearing but no one could detect how….

Eric was surrounded by fear, not just fear but fear of _him_. There was just something about it that was…mind blowing. His blood lust was rising as an intoxicating essence surrounded him; fear, death, war, and blood…amazing. Though he was completely covered in blood, he was no longer the only source of the smell. It was not coming from those whom he killed with his sword, or from Pam, but from those that Pam killed as their bodies fell and flaked onto the ground.

He was proud of his child, always has been, as he heard the faint sound of her sword slicing though her opponents bodies. He had no words to describe his own weapon. His sword hummed in his hand and yet made no sound at all; not when it pierced flesh or sawed through bone. There was no tug of resistance and he wasn't really sure if the sword was leading him or if he was leading the sword but figured that it really didn't matter, it was all a part of him anyway.

He could tell that for a vampire Pam was moving extremely fast but to him it was only a slight difference from the speed of everyone else. Eric began this fight without even trying but the more he killed then the more he wanted to kill. The more he wanted to kill, then the more he wanted to kill more efficiently; and so he began to test himself.

He had no cause to really push himself, at least not in the way he did when he fought Sookie, but he began a kind of self education. That's how it started at least. He didn't want to behead his kills, let's face it; it can be a little bit monotonous when overdone, though it's quite efficient. He began to slice anyone who stepped forward in half.

This is how he figured out the truly amazing capabilities of his sword. There was no bleeding as the body flaked because there was no flaking body. It seemed that as soon as his sword touched an enemy their body kind of dissolved into a fine mist of dust, which was then dispersed with the air that followed the movements of Eric's arms. It took him a few people to realize that he wasn't getting his sword through the entire body before it began to disintegrate, he barely got through the pelvic bone when he sliced upwards, barely to the neck when he sliced downwards, barely through the arm (not into the torso) when slicing across.

Gradually he sped up; pushing himself to slice further and further into the bodies before they disintegrated. He watched himself in the eyes of his enemies until to them he looked as if he were just striking poses. Even the heightened senses of vampires and wolves could not help them see the moves he made until he was done. He stepped a bit further away from Pam and began pushing himself further.

He though he was conscious of what he was doing his vampire mind was still able to concentrate on multiple things at once. He could see that the invading vampires below were coming to the surface through different points in the palace. They were filling the palace at an alarming rate but at least Sookie would not hit them all at once. He didn't have Sookie-vision because she was focusing on many things at once but he was tracking that beat that sounded in his heart and mind; the rhythm of his life, the rhythm of Sookie. He followed her journey into the depths and was eased to let her go as he could not only feel that she was okay but that she was excited as she fought her way to her destination.

He heard them coming way before they were within earshot. Holy hell there was so many approaching on all sides. It made his undead heart leap at the thought of so many coming. Between those that approached on the outside and those that were pouring in from below this war would be epic. And he, Eric Northman, was right where he wanted to be; in the middle of battle. However being in the middle of the battle would hinder him from meeting his goal, and it would be a waste to be separated from his bonded.

"Pam, we have to move. We have to find Victor and Felipe before they escape."

Eric didn't wait for a response; he just began to move towards the stairs. In great sweeping motions he began to clear a path, and waves of vampire ash swirled around in the air as Felipe's followers began to jump out of the way. Some managed but most didn't, as the tip of Eric's blade touched or nicked their skin and they burst to ash in the same second.

Pam followed close behind Eric. She had never felt so close to her master before. She kept her back to him and she traced his steps and continued fighting those that tried to attack from behind as they ascended the grand stairway that Victor used to disappear. She didn't need to see where he was in order to follow him, she felt him. She felt him better than she ever had. It was like their bond as maker and child had been strengthened and her body was drawn to his as if he was the earth and she was a moon in his orbit.

Felipe's property was completely taken over as a different invader came at the palace from a different side. Supe's were spilling out of the palace in every direction. They were quickly disposed of.

'_To the North.'_ Queen Arsinoe thought loudly.

'_To the South.'_ King Joseph thought for Eric and Sookie.

'_To the East.'_ King Joshua thought to them.

'_To the West.'_ King Abimelech sounded off last.

"Brace yourself!" Eric yelled to Pam a second before the entire palace trembled under the attack of his allies. There were two large explosions within seconds of each other seemingly from two different directions.

Pam planted her feet with her sword at the ready as the walls, the ceiling, and the floor all shook violently under the force of the intruding fighters. She wasn't the only one that paused at Eric's words; everyone in the corridor seemed to be still, at the very least to see what he was talking about.

In the next moment, Eric resumed his course and his gravitational pull pulled Pam along with him. Felipe's forces seemed to be confused, not sure whether to continue to try and kill Eric and Pam or to supply their aid somewhere else. They seemed to split within themselves as most turned in several directions to defend the private sanctum of the palace. Those who stayed died quickly.

This made it easier for them to move about the castle, following the faint trace of Victor's scent. Eric tried to focus through all of the minds to specifically grab onto Felipe or Victor but there were too many around. He needed Sookie, and he would have asked her but he could see that she was fighting and concentrating on filtering through the minds to lock in on Stan. She was definitely better at that than he, but that was neither here nor there at the moment.

He had yet to come into contact with a current trail of Felipe's but Victor was leading them windingly through the palace going up, up, up and then down, down, down. They were going down a dark stairwell but that didn't matter to vampires; lights were for the benefit of mortals, not the immortal. They were completely alone and Eric could feel Pam relax from her content defensive pose and turn around so that she was facing his back. As they reached the bottom of the stairs they came to a dead end.

Pam was startled at Eric's sudden stop and if she was not vampire she would have collided into Eric's back. She took a step to the side so that she could see what Eric saw. There facing back at them at the dead end was a life sized statue of a man.

Pam peered around Eric to see the military uniform of the statue, though it was very old. "A conquistador?" Pam asked.

Eric nodded slowly as he quickly scanned the features of the statue. He wore the classic helmet and chest plate that covered a long sleeved shirt. There were classic conquistadorian short flaps that were hanging a little above mid-thigh over the pants of the statue; and large boots that came up to just under the knee of the fighter with the classic cuff at the top.

"Not just any conquistador," Eric replied as he took in the slowly fading features of the statues face. "It's Felipe."

Eric inhaled deeply; Victor's scent was strong around the statue though there were no visible signs of where he could have gone. Eric inhaled deeply again but there was only Victor's scent and their own.

"There's a secret passage somewhere," Eric said. "You take the left wall I'll take the right."

They separated but there was no scent that held onto the walls showing that Victor had touched them and when they knocked there was no hollow sound to give away a hollow entrance. They moved forward on the walls as carefully as possible until they both reached the statue.

It was all solid; the wall behind it was solid too. Eric took a step back from the statue. He was missing something but what? Eric was many things but sloppy was not one of them. He knew that there was something there, but what? What could he do?

He took a closer look at the statue. It seemed to be standing on a matching stone base and it was _so_ Felipe. He wasn't just standing on a solid base; no he was standing on a base that was intricately carved with bones. Eric squatted, this statue said quite a bit about the character of Felipe. The crumbling dust told Eric more than either Victor or Felipe would ever want.

Without hesitation he stood and moved the statue to the side, banging it into the wall and sending chipped pieces to the ground. There was only a steel circle handle that appeared; it was set into the stone floor. He reached down to pull it up but it wasn't made to come up so he turned it instead. It started horizontally, but when it was turned vertical it locked into place.

Pam expected the floor or the wall to open up, but that's not what happened. The stairs began to retract and fold in on itself until it was about six feet tall. They walked in (Eric still had to duck to get in) but the opening was only about four feet deep. There was a door to the left.

As they stepped through they continued to travel underground but sooner than she thought Eric stopped. She looked over his shoulder to see what the holdup was. The path had caved in. The faint smell of explosives signaled that this was intentional.

Eric began moving the debris around so that they could get through but the ceiling groaned ominously and more began to fall around them.

"Fuck!" Eric exclaimed. Pam began to back away slowly, anticipating them turning around and finding another way but Eric defiantly stared at the rubble. "Victor, you fucking coward!" His voice boomed out.

In his anger his control of the bond slipped and the golden energy coursed through his body; his bloody dress shirt and slacks were replaced with his pristine white tunic and leather pants. The ground began to shake harder and the walls began to crack. More debris began to fall all around them as both the walls and ceilings began to crumble around them. Pam knew she was too far away from the entrance to make it out in time so she leapt at Eric's back, making it into the protection of his golden enclosure a second before it appeared and encased them both.

Eric's muscles were taut as he tried to control his anger. He felt Pam's fear, not simply just her fear, but her fear of him and he began to reign himself in. Pam felt his anger subside and then he turned to face her.

Before he had a chance to even say a word he heard the distinct sound of another explosion. He could feel the violent vibes as they made their way through the earth to where he stood with his child. He instinctively wrapped his arms around his child as the earth began to descend all around them, trying its best to crush them with its girth of rock, stone and earth.

*************************

_Sookie_

She told him to be careful and he told her to be indestructible. She could do that, for him she would do anything. Victor disappeared up the staircase and for that reason alone she decided to go in the opposite direction. Most of the surrounding vampires and wolves followed leaving a kind of void around Eric and Pam where those who were left formed a circle from which to attack.

It took all she had in her to walk away. To leave her husband and her child to fight off dozens upon dozens of vampires and wolves was…_her child_? Did she just really think of Pam as _her child_? She pondered this as she helped dispose of the last of the vampires that was attacking them. Yes, she did consider Pam her child, and not in a condescending way (which is hilarious seeing as how Pam has a few centuries on her). It's more because she and Eric were one now, so what was Eric's is hers just as what was hers is his too. Because Pam is Eric's child, she is Sookie's child too. Tying herself to Eric seems to have tied her to Pam in interesting ways too. She checked on Eric to see that they were fighting the circle off each other.

They quickly moved out of the corridor looking for a way to go down below. The hum of minds that were coming from below grew ever louder as they began to pour into the palace. People, dead and undead alike, were still swirling around them to and from destinations unknown.

"Which way Sookie?" Joseph asked as they stopped to formulate a plan. The guard surrounded Sookie, Bill and Joseph to give them time to plan while they can.

"The palace is filling up with Felipe's army. They are entering the palace from different points." She informed them.

"Can you tell where they are entering from?" Bill asked. He looked deep in thought though Sookie gave him the respect of not going into his head…she already had his word.

"Uh, I'm sure that if I focus I could track them why?" she responded.

"Well we need to get below but because none of us have been here we don't know how to get there. You said that Felipe's army is entering the palace from below. So perhaps-"

"Perhaps we could find our way below by going down where they come up?" Joseph finished for him. Bill didn't like being interrupted by Joseph's hastiness and just nodded curtly.

"We would have to fight the entire way." Sookie said.

"Since when have you ever been scared of a fight?" Bill asked her cocking his eyebrow.

Sookie smiled, the first genuine smile she's been able to give to him since this entire fiasco began. "You would know." She said and she was pleased to see his lips twitch.

She closed her eyes and concentrated she was about to push her mind downward but there was something greater calling to her mind. "Brace yourselves!" She yelled two seconds before a large explosion blasted somewhere close to the corridor they had just left and another somewhere further off. The entire mansion shook and there were piercing screams coming from everywhere. Arsinoe and the kings had arrived.

This was about to get very ugly… very fast. "We have to get out of here." Sookie said as she listened to the thoughts of her allies as they bombard Felipe's palace. "We have enough to fight our way through but if we get caught between both sides it will be unbearable and we need to get to Stan fast."

"Then tell us where we need to go." Joseph urged.

Sookie closed her eyes and focused on pushing her mind out, trying to find the source of the pouring minds. A part of her mind realized that the guard was fighting again, she had to hurry. "I've got it, one is not far."

"We are a little bit busy here!" one guardsman said when Sookie tried to push past him. He couldn't let her though without any weapons. Everyone was armed and they couldn't allow harm to come to her.

Sookie was about to get mad before she heard all his reasoning in his head. She summoned her sais and pushed past the guard, taking point. Bill and Joseph appeared at her side without a word. A six foot vampire with a sword stepped up to Sookie with a powerful swing meant to decapitate her but she easily blocked it with her sais. Upon contact with her weapons the vamps sword shattered as if it was made of glass.

It seemed as if everyone paused to at the shock of what happened but that didn't last long. Sookie saw a picture in the vampire's mind of him using his superhuman speed to rip her sais away from her and then using them to pierce her heart and slit her throat. Before he could take a step towards her she stabbed him in the heart, though he didn't flake like usual. It was like he burst into a cloud of dust before her. The corridor was silent at the sight of a vampire dissolving into dust in less than half a second; she wasn't even able to get her entire blade into his body before he disappeared.

As almost all of them stood there together watching the pile on the floor like it was the deciding kick at the Super Bowl and they all had a hundred bucks on the line. _Almost all._

She had seen the damage her weapons caused when she and Eric first reappeared at the banquet but there was something about seeing it here with not a hundred enemies coming at you, but just one. It stilled almost everyone…except for that vampire's mate. It was true that it was unusual for vampires to mate but when they did they were fiercely jealous and would hastily defend one another. A piercing scream rang out, shaking everyone from their surprised silence and once again Felipe's vampires attacked again.

Suddenly Sookie was standing toe to toe with a six foot two inch black vampire woman with long black and brown dreadlocks that almost touched her waist. The top of her hair was pulled back in a pony tail while the bottom hung loose. She had many piercings, the edge of her entire left ear was covered in small golden hoops; she had another piercing in her nose and only two in the other ear. Her entire neck was completely covered by thick golden rings. Sookie had seen this before on the discovery channel. This vampire was African and was in the process of having her neck stretched when she became a vampire.

Though her face was contorted with fury she was beautiful. She may not have been the girl on the cover of the magazines but she had the type of face that designers loved. She had thick lips and extremely high cheek bones. Her eyebrows were naturally arched and her eyes were a honey color which contrasted dramatically and beautifully with her deep dark skin. Even in her rage she was pretty…and old.

Sookie could feel the power that exudes of all vampires. The older a vampire is then the more powerful the energy they give off, this is how vampires learned basically who they could and could not fuck with. This vampire was older than her mate, older than Bill, older than Pam, but nowhere near as old as Eric. Vampires could feel Eric a mile away if they were paying attention. This is one of the things that they were supposed to be taught by their maker.

She swung her sword at Sookie closely followed with a dagger; the sword was the distraction for the dagger that was going for the kill shot. Sookie blocked them both and both the blades of the sword and dagger shattered like glass. She wasted no time in discarding the useless handles of her nonexistent weapons as she began throwing blow after blow at Sookie.

Sookie easily blocked her as she tucked her sais so that their blades were laying flat against her forearms. Sookie attacked her, knocking her back with a punch to her jaw. She was knocked a few feet backward and Sookie and her guard used the space to slowly advance towards their destination. A were jumped in the open space and snapped at Sookie but she disposed of him with a quick slice to his jugular and he too was dust.

The female vamp lunged for Sookie again though she was blocked. She snatched a sword from another vampire and prepared to take on Sookie once again. Feeling the impatience and the anxiousness of Joseph, Sookie resolved to end this. She had wasted too much time already. Stan's life (so to speak) was hanging in the balance because of her and Eric and she owed it to him to get him out safely.

This time Sookie went on the defensive. She crossed her arms in front of her body as if giving herself a hug and then jumped at the old vampire who brought down her sword in order to split Sookie in half from head to toe. Right before her sword made purchase Sookie blocked her forcefully with her sais shattering the vamps sword like it was glass (again); but she had expected this to happen and with her free hand she reached for the blade of Sookie's sais so she could pull it from Sookie's hand. Sookie let go.

She held one of Sookie's sais in her hand triumphantly as Sookie looked on in confusion. She didn't know why she let go of her weapon, but something inside her said to do it…and so she did. She didn't know what would happen, but that same something that told her to let go was telling her to pull Joseph and Bill back, who were fighting virtually right next to the female vampire, so she did that too.

By this time the entire hall was full of fighters from both sides going at each other hard. Somehow the lights were knocked out, but that didn't seem to faze anyone because everyone could see in the dark. The female vampire's triumphant looked turned to one of confusion and then one of horror as she realized that she couldn't let go of the blade so that she could grip the handle.

Suddenly the complete darkness was interrupted with a blinding silver lightning bolt that encased the vampire along with a silver mist. She cried out an agonizing wail but no one dared to help her. Sookie was glad that she listened to the feeling that said she should move Bill and Joseph back because there were three vampires and a wolf that was standing within a foot of her and as soon as the lightning appeared they were touched by it and were turned to dust. The vampire cried out louder and louder as the corridor filled with the vibrations coming of her and the sais she held.

It was horrible and Sookie couldn't believe that this kind of pain was caused by a weapon that felt as if it were a part of her. The high pitch humming that was coming from Sookie's weapon had the vamps standing closest to the female vampire covering their ears but it didn't stop the bleeding that came as their eardrums ruptured.

Sookie couldn't take this horror anymore. "Stop!" She called to her weapon. She didn't know why she was talking to it like it was a person but it was a part of her so she believed that it would respond to her will. It did, just not in the way she expected. The silver lightning and mist that swirled rapidly around the female vampire thickened and brightened, so much so that no one but Sookie was able to keep from covering their eyes. She watched as all the lighting struck the female vampires body and the silver mist forced its way into her open mouth, ears, nose, and eyes. For a split second nothing surrounded the female vampire as her body was lifted from the ground, but in the next second her body exploded in a mist of dust that dissipated everywhere in the corridor. Only Sookie's sais was left twisting in the middle of the air.

No one moved; no one touched it, and yet everyone looked upon it as if it was death incarnate. There was little mist that surrounded her weapon and only two bolts of silver lightning that circled around it like it was a the nucleus of an atom. Sookie moved to it and grabbed it without hesitation and once again it hummed in her hand as if it were glad to be home.

Not even her guard, Bill, or Joseph walked behind her as she went to retrieve her weapon; they were just as stunned as everyone else. She turned back to address them when she was caught off guard by the terror and pain in the mind of the person she was looking for.

Stan's mind wasn't clear but what she could tell he was being tortured and it was horrible. The anguish in her mind was enough to weaken her knees. She couldn't endure it so close after enduring the horror of the female vampire that her sais just killed. Her knees gave way and she fell to the floor. She pushed her fists to her head to try and regain her composure even though her sais were still in her hands but it didn't help that much.

Still no one moved in the corridor as sounds of war surrounded them; but Bill seeing Sookie drop to the floor clutching her head like that brought him out of his shock and he moved to her side. As he knelt he was careful not to touch her weapons but he still grabbed her arms. He didn't know what to do for her but he hoped that his touch grounded her, maybe he could walk her out of the pain that she was obviously in thought she didn't let a peep escape her lips.

"Sookie, are you alright?" He asked, trying to maintain his calm.

"Fuck you!" She responded and he recoiled from the venom in her voice. "I don't give a fuck what you do! Kill me or don't kill me it doesn't matter because your death warrant is already signed you fucking pussy!"

Bill stared at Sookie in complete shock. He didn't know what to say or what to do. He didn't know this Sookie. This was not the Sookie he knew at all.

"Fuck you, you stupid fucking bitches!" Sookie continued to shout into the quiet corridor. "Ahh! You will have to come better than that I can take a bullet! I can take a bullet."

"That's not Sookie." Joseph said as her words brought him out of his shock. "That sounds like Stan! That's my master."

Bill looked up to Joseph for a moment and then back to Sookie. "Guards!" he said and without a sound they moved into a defensive position around him, Sookie, and Joseph. Not to say that there was anything to defend against at the moment; everyone was still silent and looking at them in the corridor. Bill suspected that they were waiting for Sookie's sais to do to them the same thing that it did to the female vampire, and he would be lying if he said that he hadn't had that same thought.

"Sookie, back out of Stan's mind." Bill said in a soothing yet urgent voice. "Track him; tell us how to get there."

Joseph knelt down and touched Sookie's back, hoping that giving her something else to concentrate on would help her. "You can do it Sookie." He said. "Come on, you can do this."

Sookie battled with her brain. She had never got so pulled in by a mind before but the touch of Bill and Joseph helped her to pull herself back to her own body. She slowly pulled out of Stan's mind though she kept hold of it so that she wouldn't lose it again.

'_Hold on Stan, we are coming for you.'_ She told him. Relief flooded Stan's entire mind as he recognized Sookie's voice and words in his head. _'And stop telling them that you can take a bullet before they kill you before we have the chance to get there.'_ He laughed both in his mind and out loud. His captures broke out a silver whip.

Sookie looked into Bill's eyes and he immediately knew that she was back. They stood together, quickly followed by Joseph.

"I've got him." She said. "This way." Without waiting for them to acknowledge her words she stepped through the guard's protective circle and led them out of the corridor. Everyone moved out of her way and Sookie briefly thought of the parting of the Red Sea, only she was not Moses and she was not parting a sea of water but a sea of vampires and wolves.

She didn't wait to see if they were following her because she knew that they were. She found a stairway that lead down though it was filled with enemy vampires. She didn't hesitate to dive head first into battle with them as she knew that those she missed were taken care of by Joseph, Bill, and the guard. They made their way down to the lower levels and the fighting never let up. She was trying to keep many things in her mind at once, Stan, the vampires around Stan, Bill, Joseph, and the guard; she needed to make sure that no harm came to any of them, they were her responsibility.

They were close, she couldn't tell how far underground they were but the palatial feeling was gone only to be replaced by stone and wrought iron. This felt like a dungeon, cold dark and dirty…this felt like Felipe. The further into the bowels of the underground they went the darker and darker it became until it was pitch black. It didn't bother any of them as they all could see in the dark. Sookie had a pang of pride shoot through her as her vision tinted silver to accommodate her vision in the darkness; she was not helpless Sookie anymore.

"I can hear him!" Joseph exclaimed as he fought his way forward so that he was running right next to Sookie.

'_We're here!'_ Sookie thought to Stan as they came upon a large wooden door with black iron inlay. Sookie ran at the door full tilt, leaving the others to trail in her wake.

Power began to flow through her body. She could feel the silver currents flow over her skin as more and more of it slipped out from her bond. Sookie probed the bond…Eric was powered up, and pissed as hell off. She caught _'Fucking coward assed Victor!'_ from his mind before she focused back on what was happening before her.

She was trying to keep her side of the bond in check so that she wouldn't completely transform but her hold was tenuous. Lightning began striking out at the vampires that were in her way before she even had a chance to strike them with her sword. They disintegrated before her but she didn't pay a second thought to them.

Bill, Joseph, and the guards were able to close a little of the distance between them and her because they no longer had to fight anyone. The lightning that lashed out from her body was clearing everyone's path.

As she reached the door, she couldn't decide what to do. Should she stop running and try the handle, or just burst right through? In the end she didn't need to decide because her body did it for her. Four large lightning bolts flew from her and crashed into the massive wooden door, making it explode inward a second before she reached it.

Shards of wood went everywhere and one unfortunate vampire caught a particularly large shard right in the heart. Sookie quickly took stock of the room trying to locate Stan. The room was about the size of her kitchen and living room together and was built just the same as the hallway, completely stone from ceiling to floor. Several torches were lit to light the room and there were several torture stations setup all over the room.

Stan was lying on his back on a wooden table whose surface was covered in a thin sheet of silver and his wrists and ankles were bound in silver too. He was nude and completely covered in blood. His face and body were unrecognizable to the point where if Sookie wasn't able to hear his mind clearly then she would have never guessed that this was her ally. The stench of burning flesh filled the room.

Several vampires were surrounding him, though they stood for a moment in complete surprise at Sookie's sudden, and violent, arrival. One vamp held a gun while another had on thick gloves with and was holding the leather handle of a silver whip. It wasn't just a normal whip either but had several silver ropes that came from the handle and each strand had razor sharp pieces of metal tied to them. This whip was designed to tear flesh from the body.

The sight of her ally lying there completely bloody with a broken body with a hostile vampire standing over him with his whip ready to strike again was enough to push Sookie over the edge and she lost her temper. She let the energy from the bond wash over her as her silver enclosure exploded around her (narrowly missing Bill and Joseph).

Words were beyond her at the moment though she wished she had some one-liner to say before she killed them all like they always did in the movies.

"You are totally and completely fucked." Stan rasped out before he turned his head to the side and threw up a torrent of blood.

Joseph bent into a crouch and prepared to spring but Sookie beat him to the punch as her anger and horror reached the boiling point. She growled harshly and in the next second several lightning bolts struck out to Stan's aggressors. One moment they were there and the next Stan was surrounded only by allies…and a huge cloud of dust.

Everyone moved to Stan's side and Joseph reached out to break his king's bindings. He broke the chain of the left shackle on Stan's wrist though he hissed at the burning flesh of his hands.

"Stop," Sookie said. She couldn't stand to see another ally getting hurt, even if it would heal in the next few minutes. "Let me do it."

She began pulling her enclosure close to her body so that it would fit her form; she wasn't calm enough to push it back into her bond. As soon as it snugly fit her body she reached out and pinched the sides of the shackles where they locked together and it melted at her touch. She made quick work of all four of the shackles.

"Can you sit up?" She asked. She was worried about touching him when she was already powered up.

He grunted and tried to hoist himself up but the entire room began to rumble and Stan was forced back on his back with an agonized cry he tried to muffle when his back hit the silver top of the table again. He couldn't get up on his own and the other vamps were wary about getting close to the table. Joseph, however, stepped up and grabbed Stan's hand and slowly pulled his hand away from the table. Sookie could hear his skin crack and sizzle as inch by inch Joseph lifted his arm enough to drape it around his neck. He slipped his arm under Stan's neck and continued to peal Stan off of the table.

Sookie moved up to where she was even with his waist before she began to focus. _I will not hurt Stan. I will not hurt Stan. I will not hurt Stan._ She chanted to herself as she psyched herself up enough to touch his skin. She carefully inched Stan's legs off of the table all the while repeating the chant in her head with absolute concentration. When only his bare butt lay on the silver table top Joseph slid his free arm under Stan's charred legs and gently lifted him completely off the offending table.

Sookie took a step back with pride and they moved back over to the awaiting guard when a vision of Eric holding Pam in his arms as the ceiling began to cave in on them filled Sookie's mind. The ground began to shake again and this time the stones began to crack above them too.

"Everyone get close, we are going to have move fast. It's not safe for us to stay down here." They nodded at her. She stepped next to Joseph and a now unconscious Stan. "It's imperative that you stay close."

That's exactly what they did. Bill and the guard moved in close to the trio so that there was barely an inch between bodies and together they all ran from the room. The ground stopped shaking for a moment but the quiet didn't last long. As they approached the staircase they heard an explosion. Sookie could feel the vibes in the earth coming toward her before the destruction of the bomb could wreak its havoc.

'_Sookie brace yourselves this is going to be bad.'_ Eric thought to her. She could see in his mind that the explosion was already trying to bury him and Pam alive.

'_Eric!'_ was all she could manage to think before the violent waves of the blast hit her group…hard. They were halfway up the stairs when they began to crumble under them.

TBC

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A/N: Okay I know that everyone was thinking that this chapter would hold Felipe's death. Sorry to disappoint. Please believe me when I say that I am not trying to pull this out longer then nessicary. I just cant force the story. As frustrating as it can be, I have to tell the story in a way that flows for me. Thanks again to everyone who supports my Crazy. Please review and stay tuned.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: No matter how much I wish I did, I do not own any of these characters that appear in any of Charlaine Harris's Books. Everyone else are my beautiful brain children.

A/N: I would like this chapter to be for my wonderful twisted sisters for all the outlets you provide. I do expect this chapter to raise a lot of questions and as always I will do my best to answer them all. Please remember to review because they are the food upon which I thrive. Thats all I will say now because you have waited long enough for this chapter. Enjoy.

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Chapter 23

_Kings and Queens meet outside of Las Vegas, meanwhile, Eric, Sookie, and Stan's group are landing and splitting for their destinations._

"Your Highness, Queen Arsinoe has arrived. She says she will be with you all as soon as she organizes her troops." One of King Joshua's generals reported. He nodded that he understood the message and then with a wave of his hand he dismissed his subordinate.

Kings Joshua, Abimelech, Russell, and Joseph were sitting around with Queen Elizabeth and Pack Leaders Donavan, Alcide and Calvin. They had all just arrived with their forces and were just waiting on Queen Arsinoe to begin their meeting. They were speaking in small groups about inconsequential things when one of King Joshua's generals delivered the message.

Everyone was dressed in their armor and were ready for battle at a moments notice. After another half hour Arsinoe walked to the circle of royalty and took her place next to Joshua.

"Okay, now that everyone is here, we should get started." Joshua said after a quick greeting to Arsinoe. Everyone's conversation broke off and they all turned to listen to Joshua. "There are a few things that we need to discuss but we will for now start off with an update. As we speak Kings, Giovanni, Byron, and Darius have already split their forces to fortify our kingdoms since we all have so many here with us. Between the forces that we left supplemented with their forces there shouldn't be a reason to worry about our own states."

"The packs that we were able to get in touch with have also converged on your states to help with any needs that may arise." Pack Leader Donavan injected. The kings and queens all nodded their heads in agreement that it was in accordance with what was already reported to them.

"Also Giovanni, Byron, and Darius are invading Louisiana and Arkansas securing them. Each has just checked in and they were able to infiltrate without a red flag being raised to Felipe. So as of now he should still have no idea that he has lost control of two of his three states." Joshua continued.

"How is that possible?" Alcide asked trying to hide his awe.

"We've rounded up all who came from Felipe's state after he overtook them or are currently working directly for him." Joshua answered.

"Are you killing all of them?" Alcide asked.

Joshua's eyes flashed as they surveyed Alcide again. "No," He answered guardedly. "We've just rounded them up and are holding them until Northman says what he wants done with them."

"The main thing is just to keep them from raising a flag to Felipe and to keep Felipe from reaching them and ordering them to take out the originals." Arsinoe explained. She was irritated by the questions Alcide was asking, but seeing as how he's from one of Felipe's states, they were legitimate questions because they would directly affect him.

"The originals?" Calvin asked.

"Hurricane Katrina wiped out a large amount of vampires in Louisiana and Arkansas didn't have many to begin with but what they did have were decimated when Sophie-Anne killed her husband; the few remaining after that were killed when Felipe invaded." Joshua explained. "The originals are the few vampires left in Louisiana when Northman gave up and consented to Felipe's reign of the state. These vampires are not loyal to Felipe but to Northman. If Felipe kills Northman then he would have to kill them too."

"And Felipe is not a complete idiot he was told how they were ready to fight and die during the take over." Arsinoe took over again. "He is willing to kill Eric so he will kill the originals just to snuff out any future problems. It's the smart thing to do. Eric is a cancer and the best way to get rid of cancer is to not only cut the cancer itself but the surrounding tissue too just to be sure you've gotten it all."

Silence hung in the air as they let Alcide and Calvin take in the news that their state has been invaded once again. Soon they both nodded and Joshua began his report again.

"Darius, Byron, and Giovanni all reported that the call came through about an hour ago, with just two words, 'It's time', and then the line disconnected. So now that Felipe thinks that he is securing his states we need to solidify how we will attack.

"I believe that when Eric and Sookie go to the palace to speak with Felipe they would be ambushed." Elizabeth said. "It's what I would do and it would minimize witnesses, clean up, and tie up all loose ends; namely Pamela Childs and William Compton. Felipe is smart and devious, there's no way that he is going to let them leave."

"I agree." King Abimelech stated. "Though we do have to wait for the call, who is it coming to?"

"Me, I believe." Arsinoe answered. "And I think that the best way to go about it is to attack the palace directly. It is in the middle of nowhere so we won't have to worry about it spilling into the human population.

"Fine," Joshua said. "Here is the plan. Arsinoe will come in from the North. I will take the East. Joseph, you can come in from the South; and Abimelech you can come in from the West. We will close in on all sides and crush Felipe's forces within.

"Norris, you will back Abimelech and Alcide you will back Arsinoe." Everyone nodded their understanding.

"What about me?" Donavan asked.

"You will be a part of the second wave along with Elizabeth and Russell." Joshua answered. "Felipe has a fortified floor at the Palms hotel. It's like a mini Fort Knox. If for any reason, Felipe is able to escape the mansion that will be his first stop."

"Unless he chooses to get the hell out of dodge." Donavan replied.

"He won't," Joshua contended. "At least not at first. He is conceited enough to stay in Las Vegas until he was forced out. If our information is correct he has the entire thirteenth floor."

"I thought hotels didn't have thirteenth floors." Alcide said. "Something about them being bad luck."

"They don't usually, and the Palms is no different. The thirteenth floor isn't marked. It is only accessed by a key and then pressing the numbers one and three."

"Again that's if our information is correct." Arsinoe injected.

"Anyway, this non floor is basically like a command center for Felipe. Vampires and others can come and go as they please because it's a popular hotel and everyone will assume that everyone else is a guest at the hotel." Joshua continued. "And if he needs to make a get away there's a helicopter pad on the roof. He keeps it gassed and ready."

"Naturally." Alcide couldn't help but mutter.

Joshua's lips twitched but he disregarded the interruption. "Donavan, Russell and Elizabeth, will surround the Palms Hotel; be sure to stay out of sight and you should gradually work your people inside.

"I don't need to say how imperative it is that Felipe not be aware of our presence at the hotel. The last thing we need is for him to get spooked and hop a flight out of here." Joshua continued. He was completely in his element at the moment; he had been bred to lead armies into battle. "Just to make sure we have all our bases covered, we will send a small contingent to McCarran. He has a private jet there."

"Got it," Donavan said when it seemed that Joshua was finished speaking. He was very anxious to go and organize his people he had some ideas for where to plant people at. "Are we done?"

"You, Alcide, and Calvin are dismissed." Joshua spoke. "My fellow regents and I have something to discuss before we prepare to move out.

Alcide and Donavan nodded and both rose to their feet and left; Calvin followed without acknowledgement. They didn't like being dismissed like they were casual flunkies. They were all risking just as much as the vampire regents; no they weren't ruling over entire states but all that they ruled over they brought to the table. It didn't matter though because they were not here for those stuck up, holier-then-thou regents; they were here for Eric and Sookie. Without so much as a backwards glance the shifter trio left to organize and invigorate their fighters.

"I think that while we have the chance we should address the assumption that Eric will become king of Felipe's three states." Joshua said as he gauged the reactions of his cohorts.

"Are you saying you want to expand your territory Joshua?" Elizabeth asked.

"Did I say that?" Joshua snapped. "I am saying that Eric not only going from Sherriff to King, but from Sherriff to King of _three_ states. I think he can handle it but now is the time to voice any concerns you may have. I want to make sure that everyone is on the same page. When we leave here there cannot be any further discussion."

They all sat there silently, each evaluating the others while thinking of any concerns they may have.

"This is absurd." Abimelech finally spoke. "Even if we did have concerns what are we going to do, go against Northman? We all saw what he and his bonded are capable of."

"That's not the point." Arsinoe said. "These concerns are to be strictly spoken between us; if there is anything that needs to be discussed. If there is we speak about it and if necessary we will approach Eric. We are not attacking or betraying him." She let her sentence hang in the air for a few moments. "Joshua asks this question because when Eric does ascend to the throne it is us, his allies that will have to stand for him."

"It is best to do that free of any concerns." Joshua finished for her.

"I have no issues with Eric or his ability to govern multiple states." Russell said. "I do however worry about how the vampire community will react to having a Queen who is not a vampire."

"She will not be Queen." Abimelech stated as if it was so obvious. "She may have another title like consort, or companion, or mate, or she may just retain the title of being his bonded but there is no way that a human will reign over vampires. It's just not done...no matter how gifted she may be."

"If he wills it she will be." Elizabeth spoke up. It is his kingdom and if he chooses her to be his Queen, _not _Queen consort, then there is nothing to be done about it."

"It is not our way." Abimelech pressed.

"I think that after seeing what they can do, we can safely say that we are in a brand new age for us." Arsinoe said.

"I find her very amusing." Russell said with a twinkle in his eye. "I believe that if she is bold enough to take the title of Queen then we should see how she handles it."

"They may revolt." Elizabeth offered. "This could cause a civil war."

"Then they will have to take care of it when and if it arises." Joshua finally spoke. "Sookie is well known throughout our kingdoms, and if any non vampire had the best chance to rule it would be her."

"Will you stand at their coronation, knowing that Eric will most likely declare her the first ever vampire Queen who is not a vampire?" Arsinoe asked.

"I will." Joshua answered definitively.

"So will I." Russell said. "If for no other reason than to see what happens. I expect it to be quite spectacular."

"I will too, though I have some serious doubts in how she will manage to function as a head of state." Elizabeth managed to say though she was still in very deep thought about the situation.

Abimelech was about to speak when Arsinoe's phone went off. They waited for her to check her messages before they continued.

"It's Eric." She said. "They are leaving the hotel for the Felipe's place right now. Stan is not responding to any calls. He thinks Stan has been ambushed."

"It's time for us to move." Joshua replied as he watched Arsinoe respond to Eric's text.

"Not yet." Arsinoe said. "We need to finish this conversation first.

"I don't have faith in Sookie to be able to be an effective ruler over the vampires of Northman's kingdom." She continued honestly. "What I do have confidence in is Eric's ability to rule. I think that he will only allow her to be Queen if he didn't believe she would be effective."

"You are right." Russell said. "I have witnessed first hand the connection between Eric and his bonded. Before they were even bonded they had a connection, it was quite pronounced at the Rhodes disaster."

"Well this is more than just your amusement." Abimelech snapped. Russell rolled his eyes but didn't say anything because he knew that Abimelech was not done yet. "This is about the stability and welfare of these three states that we are leaving without a king."

"They will have a king." Arsinoe argued.

"Yes, the Viking." Abimelech spoke over her. "While I don't have an issue with him ruling I think that allowing his bonded to be an actual queen will create a volatile situation. Las Vegas is a big money maker and Louisiana has the potential to be so again. An uprising in either of these states will be a potential debilitating blow."

"And that will be a problem for Northman to take care of, as they will be his kingdoms." Joshua stated.

"And if he cannot handle it?"

"Then he or we will have to cross that bridge when we get to it." Arsinoe said. She was trying to control her temper but her anger was evident to them all. Abimelech was unmoved.

"I agree that Felipe is a threat to us all. He must be stopped." He said, everyone waited for the big but...and he didn't disappoint. "I, in good conscience, am here to do what I believe is right for my kingdom. Knowing, however, that Northman will most likely crown her queen I do not agree with. I will not stand at his coronation, though I reserve my official response for the appropriate time; and possibly after a conversation with Northman."

"As we all will." Joshua answered. "As it was said before this was nothing official, just a way for allies to voice their opinions. Joseph?"

They all looked at Joseph who hadn't been speaking on either side, just quietly taking everything in. "I will stand for Northman." Nothing more needed to be said now that they have all weighed in.

"We need to move out." Arsinoe said after another moment and then she stood.

The others stood next to her and they all donned the rest of their rest of their armor and weapons.

"Good fortune to you all." Arsinoe said to her fellow regents.

"Good fortune to you as well." They all replied in unison.

Everyone moved into place. The regents took control of their subjects and they began moving to their allotted places. It was hard for everyone to contain all of the high excitement and energy enough to actually make it to their destination. They were armed with all manner of weapons, each vampire loaded down so much so that it would be impossible for any human to move.

Arsinoe was closing in on Felipe's mansion when her phone signaled that she had another text message. It was from Eric again. They were almost at Felipe's palace and he gave a count of the opposition. It wasn't even half of their strength, this may be even simpler than she originally believed. She quickly stowed her cell phone, without even breaking her stride, and she picked up her military grade walkie talkie and relayed the count to the other regents.

When the palace was in sight Arsinoe, Joshua, Joseph, and Abimelech broke from each other so that they could come in on their respective positions. They were approaching fast though they were still several minutes away.

_'Arsinoe attack!'_ Eric's voice sounded loudly in her head. It was so loud and so unexpected that she actually stumbled. She caught herself by placing one hand on the ground and using her falling momentum to flip on over.

She moaned both out loud and in her head because Eric's voice was so loud and it hurt. _'Will be with you in less than two minutes.'_ She thought to him. Once again she picked up her walkie talkie. "Attack!" She yelled and she heard roars of their army in response to her command. They were prepared and ready. Everyone picked up their speed to hit the palace faster and harder.

They closed in quickly and they could already hear the sounds of battle coming from inside. They were coming up on a solid wall and several vampires threw grenades toward the wall. A massive explosion went off seconds before they reached the wall; they didn't even have to break their stride as they crashed into the chaos within. Just as they entered there was another loud explosion and Arsinoe knew that the others used explosives to create their own entrance.

The inside of the palace was in complete chaos but it didn't take a genius to know that there was vastly more of Felipe's fighters than what Eric told her. It didn't matter though because they were well prepared. They tore through Felipe's mansion with complete abandon. Parts of her army broke off to search and destroy. Arsinoe and her personal guard of ten fought their way upstairs where they were told Felipe's offices were. They broke through walls instead of trying to find the correct doors and they left broken were-bodies and flaking vampires in their wake. They reached Felipe's personal study and it was not empty. Inside were twelve vampires and six wolves.

They could have run, but that wasn't in Arsinoe's vocabulary. They tensed for battle but they didn't wait to be attacked, no they did the attacking. Arsinoe jumped at the nearest vampire, bringing her sword down towards her head but the bitch was able to block her. She was able to land a kick to the side of the vampire bitch, knocking her into the wolf that came up by her side. Arsinoe's second, was able to behead the vampire bitch as she tried to jump to her feet, leaving Arsinoe to take care of the wolf.

The wolf lunged, with his muzzle stretched wide. It was the perfect holster to sheath her sword in; and so she did. When her swords hilt hit the wolf's muzzle she yanked her arm down, effectively splitting the wolf. Though they were all outnumbered Arsinoe and her crew quickly gained the upper hand and disposed of their adversaries. They were bloody and a few of them had broken bones but they were mending quickly; and those who were hurt worse drained the wolves.

They began to ransack the room but it had already been cleared. Whoever was here were in a hurry to leave, but they left with the important things. When their search turned up nothing, they met in the center of the office. As Arsinoe was beginning to speak there was a loud explosion.

"Fuck," She muttered. "They are going to blow us up while we are all still inside." As the ripple of the explosion rippled through the building the walls and floor groaned ominously. "RUN!" Arsinoe screamed but it was too late and the floor crumbled and they all fell into the raging battle below.

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He appeared quietly in the night sky. He was in a great vantage point, he could see absolutely everything as he floated in the Las Vegas sky. He was glad that he could see Sera and Eric in action, especially since he'd missed when they fought in their dream realm. He was not a happy camper when Michael told him about it. He 'happened' to be looking at that moment...yeah right. At least now he would be able to see something, though he knew it would be nothing like when she fought Eric. No one could challenge Sera, not really, unless it was Eric or one of the other angels.

Right now Sera and Eric were pulling into the outer gates of Felipe's compound. He was so excited that he could hardly contain himself, but he would have to. There was a small swoosh behind him and he knew that he was no longer alone. He turned around and sure enough there was Michael floating behind him.

"Gabriel." Michael greeted.

"What are you doing here brother?" Gabriel replied instead of greeting Michael back. "You gave us leave to watch over her this night."

"I know, I promised her that you will be able to come around more often." Michael replied.

"So why are you here? Do you doubt our abilities brother?" Gabriel teased. He knew that that was the furthest thing from the truth. He knew that Michael just wanted a front row seat to the action below."

"Never, I was just curious."

"Then you should have called us when they fought." Gabriel teased some more. "You can watch from afar, but go now so we can focus."

"Fine, but you know that this would be a perfect time for her to attack." Michael warned as he began to glow brighter in preparation for his departure.

Gabriel regarded his glowing commander for a moment and then focused on separation. He felt a small loss due to the separation but it was necessary. To his side Briel appeared.

"We are prepared." They spoke in unison.

Michael nodded to them both and then without a sound he was gone.

"If he wants to be up close, then this should be very good." Briel said to him as she looked down to see Eric and Sookie, along with their guard, disappear into the palace.

"I know, I can't wait to see our girl in action." Gabe replied.

They both focused and were able to see through to the building to the chaos below. They watched as Victor joined the group. There were vampires and weres swirled all around the palace and compound. Everyone was going this way and that to their most important destinations. Victor is spewing his bile at Eric _'you still have no support...' _indeed.

"Jerk." Briel murmured.

"He was in life. Does it really surprise you that it hasn't changed in his death?"

"No, I mean come on...it's _Victor_. Jerk is his middle name."

"Technically it's not." Gabe smiled.

"Must you always be so difficult all the time." Briel asked as she rolled her eyes at her other half.

"Well we both can't be the nice one."

"Shush, we are missing it." Briel said. "They are separating."

"I will take her." Gabe stated.

"Fine, Eric is mine." Briel replied.

They descended closer to the mansion, separating so that they could both focus on their subjects. Between both of them they could see everything. Briel focused on Eric and was impressed. He learned so easily; by just pushing himself he was able to tap into his increased speed. Their strengths were like muscles, the more they are worked, then the more endurance and balance and strength comes. Freyja and Odin are going to be pleased. Briel looked down on her newest brother as he sliced through the opposition as if they weren't even there. She knew they couldn't but she could see the ash of fallen vampires all around. She looked over to the side to see Eric's armies closing in; a quick glance around confirmed that they were closing in on every side.

Gabe was totally entranced with his sister; the way she wielded her weapons, the weapons that _he_ made, with ease and grace. She seemed to be more relaxed with her weapons than Eric. She wasn't pushing herself or trying to find a personal best. She was just as fast as she needed to be. Her strikes were as quick as lightening and very precise, he was very proud. She was fighting her way through the angry mob when her adversaries became aware of the deadliness of her weapons when one of the vampires grabbed her sais and she let it go. She glowed brilliantly as Sera's essence surrounded her completely. She was encased and unable to escape, unable to do anything more than scream. Everyone froze in the corridor, too shocked or horrified to move. When the offending vampire was dead-finally-Sera grabbed her weapon that was rotating in mid air. The corridor cleared in all haste, people throwing others out of their way in their haste to get away from Sera and to get to so called safety.

"Reinforcements are here." Briel announced.

"Grenades," Gabe mused. "This should be very interesting. These vampires can be so...innovative when they put their minds to it."

"Indeed." Briel replied just four vampires on two different sides of the palace threw the explosives.

There were already vampires and were's that were overflowing out of the palace onto the grounds and they were quickly overtaken and disposed of. The explosions rocked the entire building but there was only damage to the outside and the immediate inside. The armies forced their way inside and between their numbers and strength and the numbers that were swelling in from below it all became very overwhelming.

"Uh oh Eric," Briel breathed. "Temper temper, you will get the rat later." Victor had escaped through the tunnels below and set off a small explosion to keep anyone from following behind him. Eric was letting his temper get the better of him to the point where the bond involuntarily opened and encased him...and Pam. "You know that Pam is a daredevil. I like her." Briel announced. Even with Eric's new elevation of power, it didn't change how they worked together. It seems as if their bond has grown as well. The centuries of familiarity has shown through the night.

Sera is the head of her spear, striking down anyone who gets in her way. She wasn't powered up yet but the force of Eric being powered up and his rage had Sookie reacting automatically, though she was nowhere near him; her hair was already streaking. She was almost to the chamber that held Stan. _'You are so totally and completely fucked'_ he declared and Gabe giggled.

"This Stan guy is very amusing." Gabe said as he continued to chuckle lightly. "Even with all the pain and torture he's been through he still has a smart mouth."

"Yeah, he's my kind of guy." Briel nodded.

"Oh no you can't!" They both screamed futilely at the same time. One of Felipe's commanders saw that they were out matched and outnumbered. He pulled out a bomb big enough to level the mansion from a hidden alcove that had been outfitted for battle. The timer was counting down from five seconds and he ran for the regent that was the closest to him. Battling unaware twenty feet away was Abimelech, he was holding his own against three vampires. His guards were in disarray and he never knew what hit him.

_'Save Arsinoe, she's important!'_ Michael's voice sounded in Gabe's mind.

Without a second thought Gabe and Briel flew down, ghosting through the ceiling and the upper three floors, to where Arsinoe and her guard were. The floor was crumbling beneath them and they were falling into the raging battle below. There was a vampire trying to brace himself through the blast, his sword's blade was turned up and in perfect position to pierce Arsinoe's heart. Gabe raced down, everything seemed to move in slow motion and he could see her eyes widened in fear as she fell by inches into the unknown oblivion below.

She looked up and saw a beautiful face. Was this the end? She had never seen anything more beautiful than the man and woman racing towards her. Are they here to take her away?

"Of course not." The man said as he wrapped her securely in his arms.

She stared at him and almost had to flinch away at his inhuman beauty. She had seen a lot of things over the centuries. One of the things that had always stuck out in her mind was when she caught a glimpse of an unsuspecting fairy in her natural form. Though every fiber of her being told her to attack and drain the creature, she just couldn't bring herself to destroy something so magnificent. This man makes that fairy look like a toad ran over on the side of the road.

"You are safe." The woman said. Her voice was like soothing honey and music and home. Arsinoe looked at her and saw the same almost painful beauty.

The one thing that did strike her was how they looked different and yet distinctly the same. She looked around to see that everything was frozen in place. She could see the dust particles from the level above as they hovered unmoving in the same position. Her guards were all in various states of falling just as she'd been. After taking the moment to take in her surroundings she found her voice.

"What's going on? Are you here to take me away? Did I die?" She question. She sounded like a child in her mind and her voice was like sand paper next to their smooth honey melody.

"No, not yet." Gabe said with a smile. "You still have important things to do and we couldn't let you die before your time." He nodded his head down and moved a foot away so that she could see the sword that was perfectly positioned to take her life.

"Thank you." She murmured though her voice betrayed the wonder she felt. These were clearly beings beyond what she had heard about or witnessed. No other being had the power to stop time. What did the humans say? _'Time stops for no man.'_

"I am not a man." Gabe stated with a smirk.

"W-what can I do for you? What do you want from me?" She managed as she realized he could hear her thoughts.

"We want nothing." Briel said. "You have a path to follow."

"And so far it has led you to follow Eric and Sera. Just continue to do as you are pulled to do and let no _man_ sway you." Gabe injected.

Arsinoe looked at her saviors with confusion, Eric she knew but who the heck was Sera? Did she have to seek this Sera out?

"No." Briel answered her silent question.

"Okay it's time to get back to reality." Gabe announced.

Briel looked over to the falling guard and then above at the falling levels. "They should be okay where they land." She announced. "The ceiling should break right before it crushes them so that they miss it.

"Alright let's get this show on the road." Gabe said. He let go of Arsinoe's legs and turned her so that her back was against his chest.

"Oh and here." Briel said, handing Arsinoe her sword back to her.

"Thank you." Arsinoe said. Briel smiled and nodded.

"Okay so just stand right here until the rubble is done falling and then you can move around. You will be safe." Gabe said as he lowered them to the ground. When they touched he looked around to make sure that he had her in the correct position. He needed to move her a little to the side so he touched the vampire who was there and the vampire flew to the side as if he was launched...and he was.

Briel huffed.

"What?" Gabe asked innocently. "He was in my way."

Briel raised an eyebrow. "Oh lighten up, he's not dead. Besides he is on the other side.

Briel just shook her head as Gabe released Arsinoe. "You won't be able to see us but we will make sure that you are not hurt."

"Will I see you again?" Arsinoe asked. She was drinking their appearances in greedily just in case she never would see them again.

"You should hope not." Gabe said. They nodded their heads to her in goodbye, and she bowed to them...and she never bows to _anyone_.

As she stood up they were gone and everything was crashing around her. There were howls and screams pressing in on her ears from every side. It was a miracle that she wasn't injured; she must have fallen just right. A thick cloud of dust and rubble covered everything. She looked around for someone, anyone she knew and was drawn to the groans of her guard. The seemed to have escaped the harshest of the blast and were only a little shaken.

"My Queen, are you okay?" They asked.

"I am fine." She replied as she helped them shift the rubble from around them. "We need to find the others. We need to confirm that Felipe has not escaped." She couldn't describe it but she felt a peace within her that she couldn't remember ever feeling before; and she didn't know why but she wanted to keep her sword close to her for more than just the obvious. She knew that these feelings were important and she couldn't help the feeling that she was forgetting something very important. If she just knew why....

Satisfied that Arsinoe was okay, Gabe and Briel turned their attention back below to Eric and Sera. The earth was crashing down on Eric and Pam. The only thing saving them was Eric's enclosure. Briel flew towards him.

Pam's back was pressed into Eric's as she looked around at the blackness of the earth that surrounded them. Eric could feel her fear of final death coming off of her.

"Relax Pam." Eric said. "I will not let anything happen to you."

Pam was trying to relax but she couldn't help the fear within. She trusted Eric, and if he said that there was nothing to fear then she believed him...she just wished her body did the same. She refocused her mind from the earth that was pressing in on them from all sides to Eric's golden enclosure. She wondered what it would feel like to touch it. Would it hurt her? She didn't think so because she was standing on it and it didn't bring any harm to her. She took a tentative step away from Eric and held her arm out. Her fingers grazed over the golden shielding. It pulsed with life under her hand. It felt like she was touching Eric himself though she wasn't. It continued to pulse in a familiar beat that was familiar but could not place.

"OOOOh do it again Pam." Eric said with a sarcastic smirk as he mock shuddered. "That tingles."

Pam let go of a breath she didn't know she was holding-not that she needed it-and with it the rest of her tension and fear left. She knew that Eric wouldn't be joking with her if the situation was truly dire.

"Well let me tell Sera that and we can see if she will allow Pamela to accommodate your request." A smooth honey voice said just as Eric and Pam turned away from each other.

Eric and Pam both whipped around to find the beautiful being standing between them. Eric smiled widely, Pam's eyes bugged out and her mouth gaped open. She didn't know what this being could be but she knew she wanted her in every sense of the word, now if only she could stop staring like an idiot and make her legs and voice work.

"Sister, you are here." Eric said as Briel pulled him into a hug.

"Of course I am," Briel replied. "We had to wage a small battle with Michael and Odin and Freyja to get here but we did."

Eric chuckled.

"We couldn't miss this especially since we missed you and Sera go at it in the dream realm." Briel said and then she turned to Pam. "Tell me brother, since this is your child, does that make her my niece?" Briel teased with a small smirk on her face.

Eric laughed at the face Pam made at Briel's words. At least she seemed to pull herself together. "I would imagine so."

"Well aren't you going to introduce us?" Briel asked as she looked to Eric with an innocent glance that he didn't trust for a moment. Apparently she was more like Gabe then she wanted to admit.

"Pam, this is Gabriel, Briel for all intents and purposes right now. Briel, this is my child Pam."

Pam nodded at Briel but she held out her hand out. Pam usually would balk at shaking hands with a stranger but nothing was going to keep her from touching this beautiful being. As soon as her hand touched Briel's, Pam was enveloped with a peace that she couldn't ever recall feeling...not even as a mortal. Pam's eyes grew wide though she didn't have it in her at the moment to feel scared; all she could feel was a peaceful contentment.

"So tell me Briel, will I cause more damage going straight up?" Eric asked with a bemused smirk on his face for his child. "I am not sure if I am even still up under the palace or not."

Briel looked up. "You are no. If you come straight out you will be just within the gates of Felipe's compound."

Eric looked up too but all he could see is the dirt of the earth. He frowned at Briel. "Will I be able to do that?" He asked.

She smiled sweetly, finally letting go of Pam's hand. "Eventually...possibly soon after you ascend." Eric looked at her confused. "When you are able to pull your energy within yourself." She clarified.

"Come on, we should go." She said.

Eric nodded and propelled himself forward bringing him, Briel, and a stunned Pam with him. He moved steadily as he reached the surface. When they breeched, the night sky twinkled in serenity above them. He looked around and saw the palace in ruins.

"What the hell happened?" He demanded though he was too much in shock to sound all that menacing.

"One of Felipe's men detonated a bomb inside. Abimelech among others were killed." Briel reported. Eric was about to speak again but Briel cut in. "Gabe and Sera are closing in on us." She turned her head expectantly to the left.

When Briel took off to take care of Eric Gabe didn't hesitate to do the same for Sera. As he made his way to her the stairs crumbled beneath her and her guard. Instead of falling onto more rock there seemed to be some kind of chasm that open to them all, eager to swallow. Sera's shield seemed to work on instinct because it snapped open until it encased them all and then closed, securing everyone inside its protection without actually touching or harming anyone.

They all landed with a hard smack on the ground below and the ceiling gave way to the forceful hands of the earth crushing down on them all. It seems like the hit to the ground stunned them all, though he could guess from the look of concentration that Sera was reaching to check on Eric. He already knew what she would see, Eric talking to Briel with a stunned Pam to the side. A small sigh of relief escaped her lips as she lay there a moment longer with her eyes closed. She must have really been concentrating on Eric because she didn't seem to realize that he had crossed the barrier into her silver enclosure.

"Can I give you a hand beautiful one?" He asked as he landed lightly beside her. The others cowered against her enclosure at his sudden appearance and Sera's eyes snapped open.

"Gabe?" She asked. He smiled. "Gabe!" She cried, quickly jumping up and into his arms. She hugged him fiercely and he returned it.

"I hope you will always be this happy to see me." He mused as she continued to hold him tightly.

"Oh I will be. I can't believe you're here!" She said as she finally pulled back to look him in the eyes. He assumed that it was to make sure that he was actually there. He gave a gentle squeeze of confirmation.

"Can you please tell Briel to stop dazzling Pam, she will be so grumpy later at the thought of a woman striking her to stupidity."

He laughed and sent the message. They both watched as Briel released Pam's hand, seemingly of her own volition.

"What are you doing here?" She asked. "Not that I am complaining."

"We missed your match with Eric and there was no way we were going to miss this too." He said with an easy smile. Then he set her back on her feet and turned to see her companions still shrinking away from him. "Who are your scared friends?"

"Oh, these are the guards Stan sent to Eric and I." She motioned to the guard who wished she would not have brought them to this...being's attention. "This is Stan's second in command, Joseph and King Stan himself." She finished motioning to everyone.

"He has been hurt very badly." Gabe stated as he took a closer look at Stan's injuries. He reached out to touch Stan but both Stan and Joseph hissed at him.

"He will heal." Joseph said, trying to sound strong.

Gabe surveyed them a moment longer and then stepped back to Sera.

"It's okay." She said to them. "He won't hurt either of you, he's good, he's my brother."

"It's okay Sera. It is Stan's choice if he wants the healing." Gabe tried to soothe as both Stan and Joseph eyed him dubiously. "We need to get out of here though." He looked up. "You've rounded back around so that you are still beneath the palace. If we go this way we will meet with Eric and Briel."

"Okay." Sera agreed. They made their way to the surface and because they were moving diagonally instead of straight up it took them longer to reach the surface.

They came up about half way between the palace and the outer compound gate. When Sera looked back at the palace she stilled with utter shock. It seemed like Rhodes all over again. She moved towards it, hoping that there was something she could do to help, but Gabe grabbed her hand.

"This way Sera. It is still long enough before dawn that they will be able to make it out. You need to treat with Eric."

Sera looked at him and then back at the fallen palace and then nodded. She lifted them off the ground and then flew towards the pull of Eric. They landed next to Eric, Briel, and Pam. Eric and Sera's golden enclosure blended together until they were all encased within both. Eric automatically enclosed Sera in his arms and hugged her fiercely. Gabe went to stand next to Briel and introduced himself to Pam. Stan, his second, and his guard were torn between waiting on Eric and Sookie to acknowledge them and keeping an eye on Gabe and Briel; though some couldn't tear their gaze away from the awe inspiring Briel.

Briel and Gabe looked towards the bright lights of the strip. Victor and Felipe were there, on a secret floor. "Eric," They both said. "You have to go."

Eric and Sookie looked at them. "What's going on?"

"Both Victor and Felipe are both at their hideout in the hotel but we don't think that they will stay for too long."

"Right; have any of our allies survived?" Eric asked trying to reach his mind into the chaos of the palace. Everyone's mind were so freaked out and scared that it was hard to identify anyone.

Briel and Gabe looked back to the palace. "All the regents except Abimelich made it." They answered.

"Fine." Eric replied. He and Sookie turned to face each other and joined both their hands. They reached towards the palace until they were connected to every mind. It was a bit disconcerting because so many were in pain or focused on trying to free others, but they managed. _'Joshua, Arsinoe, Joseph.'_ Eric called.

_'I am here.'_ They answered one by one.

_'We've located Victor and Felipe. They managed to escape this battle and are in their hide out at the hotel. Joseph, keep as many as you need to protect yourself, all others send to the hotel. Arsinoe and Joshua gather as many as you can and get to the hotel as fast as you can to back up Elizabeth and Russell.' _Eric commanded. He was still in full general mode. _Joseph will you be okay by yourself to search the wreckage here and offer Felipe's people surrender or death?'_

_'I will be fine Northman. You can go, I will take care of everything here.'_ Joseph responded. He didn't wait for them to say anything else his mind automatically turned to the task at hand.

_'I am on my way.' _Arsinoe sent.

_'As am I.' _Joshua stated.

"We need to go." Eric said to Sookie. She turned and looked at Stan. He was showing signs of healing but was nowhere near what he needed to be if he wanted to come along.

"We can't take Stan like this." Sookie said. "He needs to be taken to safety so that he can regenerate."

"I can heal him if he wants to go." Briel offered.

Stan and Joseph looked at her suspiciously as they did Gabe but not nearly as dubiously. Stan's eyes shined as he tried to weigh exactly how much trust he would put into Eric and Sookie's familiarity with these two inhuman beings versus residual effects he may possibly have later.

"It's okay." Briel tried to reassure him. "I won't hurt you. You will feel better than you will ever have period. Dead or alive."

"Or undead." Gabe tossed in.

"I guess it all comes down to if you want to see Felipe die or not." Sookie tossed in trying to sway him. Stan looked at her like she called him something dirty. His eyes blazed as he warred with himself. Sookie knew the decision before the curt nod of his head ever happened.

When it did, Briel smiled brightly and stepped in front of Joseph and a still nude Stan. "Hand him to me." She said softly.

"Oh great," Gabe said. "Me he treats as if I have the plague, you he lets heal him."

Briel turned back to Gabe and smiled condescendingly. "Don't hate me because I'm beautiful." Before anyone could make a reply Briel swept Stan up into her arms.

She flew up out of Sookie and Eric's enclosures and they became encased in a white light. This light however was different then the light that was exuded by Eric and Sookie. Where they cast light around them from the lightning that encased them Briel seemed to exude the light from her. It was not surrounding her but was produced from her as if she were a light bulb. Joseph was getting anxious but before he could do or say anything the light produced by Briel dissipated. Stan was no longer in her arms but she was holding both his hands just like Eric and Sookie had done moments before. He was no longer nude either but dressed in a black dress shirt with white pinstripes, black slacks and black leather boots. His hair was impeccable and she even replaced his glasses. They lowered back down into the sanctuary of Eric and Sookie's enclosures and Stan was positively glowing.

"Are you alright Sire?" Joseph asked unsure. Briel stepped away and retook her place next to Gabe.

It didn't escape Eric's attention that Stan squeezed her hand before letting go. "I am fine." Stan assured. "I feel...powerful, unstoppable. Let's go. We have no time to linger here."

"You're right." Eric replied. "Let's go."

Gabe and Briel flew out of the enclosures as they took to the air. "Good luck, we will watch over you."

"You're not coming with us?" Sookie asked.

"No, I'm afraid that this is something that you are going to have to do on your own." Gabe replied.

"But we will be here, watching over you." Briel continued.

"Fine, we will see you soon." Eric said and they took off towards the Palms hotel.

_'Russell, Elizabeth, Felipe and Victor are there.'_ Eric thought to them.

_'We know, we are slowly infiltrating both above and below.'_ Russell responded.

_'We are ready to go when you are.'_ Elizabeth said.

_'We will touch down in a minute. We will go then.'_ Eric responded. _'Unless they try to escape, hold your positions.'_

Vegas passed beneath them quickly as they rapidly approached the strip. It was blinding and made the rest of the city look positively dark. It was an amazing view. As Eric and Sookie propelled their group forward, the others looked around and were completely stunned. None of them had the ability to fly so they were never able to see this type of view, not even on a plane.

They couldn't help stealing glances at Stan either, though they tried to be subtle and inconspicuous about it. He was glowing even brighter than the normal vampire glow. They couldn't get past the vast difference in how well he was healed. They didn't know how Eric and Sookie got the power to heal but they were glad that they used it on their king. As old as he was, Stan always exuded power but now it seemed so much heavier as it permeated the golden and silver orbs they were flying in. They could feel the power that Eric and Sookie put out, but now that was joined by an intensified Stan. Strength and power rolled off of him like water on a baby's skin. His eyes, that were always so luminous, seemed to be unable to dim; they seemed to be seeing things that no one else could. As scared as they were of him, they were even more proud to call him King.

The Palms hotel came into sight quickly and Eric followed the mind signature of Russell to land next to him. People saw their bright lights as they flew over but this was Vegas, there's always a hotel using some kind of gimmick to attract gamblers and customers, this night it was the Palms hotel with a gold and silver orb directing people straight to their gambling dreams.

"How did it go at the palace?" Russell asked as they all exchanged nods.

"What palace?" Sookie replied. Russell's eyes grew infinitesimally bigger as the shock of the decimation of the monstrous palace Felipe held was now gone.

"All of that and Felipe and fucking Victor still manage to escape to here." Eric added. "Where is Elizabeth?"

"She's on the roof waiting for the go." Russell responded.

"It's just a matter of time before they realize that we are here too. We need to go."

"How do you want to do it?" Sookie asked aloud for the benefit of everyone else.

"Russell, Stan, and I will go in on the ground floor. You, Pam, Bill go to the top with Elizabeth and fight downward. Make sure you either leave someone to guard or destroy the helicopter. We cannot allow them to escape again. Stan you can split your guard however you want." Eric looked around at them all. "Are we ready to end this?"

"Without a doubt." Sookie said.

"And a lot of fun." Pam chimed in. Everyone else gave a nod. Stan and his guard were of one mind to make the last stand together, and Sookie couldn't really blame them.

She grabbed hold of Pam and Bill's hands, not quite sure of what would happen to them as she pulled them from Eric's enclosure. They flew upwards and within four seconds, they were all on top of the building. Elizabeth was standing with her second and third in command, giving them direction for the upcoming fight; it also looked like about seventy five of her force was up there also. They all turned to where Sookie, Pam, and Bill stood, not because they made a sound when they landed but because of the brilliant silver light that glowed all around them. They walked over to Elizabeth, who has a small smile on her face as she tried to internally will herself to not be afraid of Sookie.

They all nodded to one another and Sookie filled her in on their make-shift plan. Sookie looked over to see the drained bodies of two werewolves lying beside the helicopter.

"They wouldn't surrender." Elizabeth said as she followed Sookie's gaze. "And I am not in the habit of taking hostile prisoners when there is nowhere to hold them."

Sookie looked back at Elizabeth and listened to her mind. There was nothing there that seemed upset or repulsed. She was excited that the battle had come to where she is because it has been a while since she was in an actual fight. She saw this as kind of stretching her legs, making sure the old blood was sill pumping. She didn't feel anything for the two men that were killed on her orders. She hadn't even given them a second thought until she saw Sookie gaze upon them, and even then there was no sadness or remorse. She thought that if Sookie was going to try to rule vampires then she would need to toughen up, because chances are that she will see much, _much_ worse things than two dead flea bags.

Sookie stiffened at that last thought but then forced herself to relax. She knew that as cruel as it sounded Elizabeth was right. Though she would try to prevent bloodshed of any kind, there wouldn't be anyway to keep from coming into contact with it completely. Pam and Bill could both feel the tension in Sookie, though they didn't know the cause. Because they were no longer holding hands they sent her comfort the only way they could think of...with their minds. Sookie finally completely relaxed. "How are we going in?" She asked Elizabeth to keep herself from backsliding.

"The elevator shaft." Elizabeth replied. "That way we won't risk running into any of Felipe's security. Come this way and we will stand at the ready."

They were about to follow Elizabeth into the access door when the edge of Sookie's enclosure grazed the door frame, which disintegrated.

"Well that could be a problem." Bill said with a twitch of his lips.

"I can let you out so that you can move around on your own." Sookie replied, though she couldn't hide her smile.

"That will be fine." Pam said. "Besides, I still have to kill more than Eric does. I hate to think what he will ask for if he wins our bet." She gave a theatric shudder to push her point.

"Doesn't Eric always win?" Bill asked.

"There's always a first time to lose, and this is going to be it for him." Pam replied fiercely. Bill chuckled but didn't say anything else; where Pam was looking forward to leaving Sookie's enclosure to win her bet with Eric; he was going to miss being wrapped in her pure essence.

"Just walk out and I will pull it closer around me." Sookie said as she tuned Bill's mournful thoughts out of her head. "You will still have to be careful not to touch me like everyone else because I have to really be concentrating on you so that you don't end up a pile of dust." They stepped out of the silver enclosure simultaneously and Sookie pulled it snugly around her so it was like a second skin...a second _glowing_ skin.

_'Ready Lover?'_ Eric asked.

_'Always.'_ Sookie replied. She could see Eric smiling in his mind at her double meaning.

_'I am going to hold you to that.'_ He warned.

_'Of course you will, that's why I said it.'_ She teased.

"Everyone get ready!" Sookie yelled over her shoulder to the army that grouped behind her and the others. She searched their minds to make sure that they were all ready and found out that they were all ready and excited for battle.

_'ATTACK!'_ Eric's mind voice shouted. "ATTACK!" Sookie roared.

Elizabeth's second forced the elevator doors open and moved out of the way. Sookie tossed her body into the silver tinted blackness, followed by Pam and Bill. Sookie dove head first, counting the floors as she went. Pam gave a little squeal of delight as her hair flew above her head. Bill rolled his eyes because sometimes it seemed like Pam could get joy from the oddest things. Sookie tucked her head and her feet naturally came around, just in time for her to land on her feet, and she focused in on Felipe's mind. In the next second Pam and Bill landed right behind her, and to her surprise, so did Elizabeth. The elevator they traveled on was traveling downward and Sookie kept focusing on Felipe's mind voice until they were about level with his floor. She grabbed the cables and held them together, bringing the elevator to a screeching halt. It was a good thing that the elevator was empty because if there were riders they would have panicked and called for help and Sookie had a feeling that Felipe monitored those. She was trying to figure out what to do with the cables when Elizabeth pulled out a massive industrialized clamp and secured it around the thick wires. They dropped another foot but then stopped. They looked at Elizabeth, who just shrugged her shoulders.

"You too will learn to be prepared for every possibility when you are Queen." She said to Sookie; who couldn't help but smile. She wanted to ask for what occasion she would need to carry a giant assed steel clamp, but looking at where hers was right now, it seemed a bit moot. In the next moment they remembered what they were there for and they all turned back to the doors that opened to the thirteenth floor.

"I think we need to knock." Pam mused.

"It would be the polite thing." Elizabeth agreed.

"Then please allow me." Sookie said. She raised her leg with the grace of a swan and kicked the elevator doors in with the force of a freight train.

"Now!" Elizabeth roared and Sookie could hear her army jump one by one down the elevator shaft.

It seemed as if everyone on Felipe's floor was stunned at their sudden and chaotic appearance, but no one looked more so than Felipe himself. Even though few people had direct access to this floor, Sookie stopped counting when she hit eighty five, they were definitely out numbered. Sookie could hear the giddiness bubble up in Pam's mind. She was a strong fighter, strong in Eric's bloodline, she was not worried.

Sookie produced her sais and leapt from the elevator shaft as Felipe yelled for his people to kill her. She began slashing her way through attackers, all of them exploding into dust before her blade has a chance to sever limbs. Pat, pat, pat, pat was the sound her army made as they flowed like water into Felipe's secret hide out. Sookie kept her mind open and she found someone looking at Felipe and Victor being pushed into a corner and surrounded by guards waiting to be attacked. Sookie and her force were blocking the only exit out of this mini battle field.

Pam, Bill, and Elizabeth were fighting as a rotating triangle of death. Sookie hadn't been keeping up with Pam and Eric's kills but judging by what Pam was doing now, she would cringe to know how many people that Eric had, and still is, forcefully and permanently retired; and she fully expected him to win....

Felipe's forces had a mixed reaction to Sookie. Some would jump in front of her and attack, and meet their deaths before they realized that they had even been struck, or they would turn to run. Sookie never struck anyone in the back because she was an honorable fighter. Even though none of her opponents would hesitate to kill her anyway possible, she would not let anyone sway the way she saw fit on how to fight correctly. This didn't stop Felipe's forces from attacking her in groups.

Felipe was getting angrier and angrier as he watched the battle commence and yet none of these...rebels were being killed. Only his people were dying. He'd had enough and he broke through his guard and began taking on the closest adversaries to him. He killed them swiftly, he was a king not a bitch and he began to show why he had the position he did. Seeing their king fighting and killing others seemed to invigorate his forces and they began battling harder than before, they too began killing Sookie's cohorts.

In the background few gave thought to the fire alarm sounding, but then there was a loud chink and then a massive crash. Sookie didn't turn around to see what happened but searched out pictures in other's minds. There was smoke coming out of the elevator shaft along with smoke...and more fighters. Arsinoe and Joshua had arrived. They threw themselves into the fight but their armies trickled in so slowly, it didn't have an immediate effect on the battle; but it was still good to know and good to see.

The fighting was about even but Felipe seemed to be stronger than anyone guessed. He was taking out opposing forces at alarming rates. Sookie was trying to fight her way over to him but it seemed as if her opponents could read her mind. Every time she took a step in Felipe's direction two groups of his fighters would jump at her and engage her in fighting. She wasn't able to get to where she wanted to be.

All hell was breaking loose now because it wasn't just Eric and Sookie's allies coming through the still smoking elevator shaft but Felipe's too. Sookie was wondering what was going on downstairs that was making it possible for both sides to come up. She reached for Eric's mind. He allowed her to see all that he was seeing...which was complete chaos. He also showed her what happened at the beginning of the battle. It was like picture in picture in picture and her head began to swim under all of the information. Eric sensed this and reverted back to only showing what he was seeing.

As soon as they attacked, someone was able to get off a silent alarm. It seemed as if every remaining vampire in the area responded. They killed without regard both vampire, human, and shifter alike. There were still human men, women, and children trying to get to safety but Felipe's forces were making that awfully hard. The spilling of the human blood was inciting an even stronger bloodlust because though vampires were bleeding, human blood was still warm and more appetizing than shifter. Eric was fighting carnage all around him. She could see as he turned his head this way and that, that Joseph and Stan was flanking Eric and all three were locked in combat with multiple people.

She saw a massive lion that had big splotches of blood all over him pass through the background in Eric's line of vision. _'Is that Sam?'_ She asked.

_'Yes, and he is very impressive I must say.'_ Eric begrudgingly admitted of the usual mongrel.

Sookie smiled mentally. _'He's not hurt too badly?'_ She checked.

_'No, he's actually having the time of his life.'_ He replied with a chuckle. _'I have been keeping a tab on our people so that no one is left without back up. Alcide is showing why he is a pack leader. A woman was caught up with her child and the child was knocked from her arms. Alcide drug the child back to its mother and then escorted them out of the casino.'_ Sookie's heart leapt for her friend. _'Calvin and his pack are almost all still intact.'_

_'Almost?'_ Sookie asked, she already knew that she was going to hate the answer.

_'Yes lover, almost.'_ Eric said. _'I am afraid that a dead vampire's flaking body was tossed at him, knocking him down. Then he saw me beheading a vampire the old fashioned way and the blood sprayed onto him. When he had to be saved from death by a _girl_ I think it was the wheat that broke the horses back.'_

Sookie growled at her brother's defection. He knew in coming here it was for a war. She didn't know what he though war was like but if he wasn't ready for it he should have stayed at home instead of standing to be counted on by his pack and his sister and then just deserting. Her brother was a disgrace. She knew that the least severe punishment he would receive for his desertion would be banishment; the most severe would be death.

She took out her outrage and frustration on the four vampires she was fighting. She blocked their attack with her sais causing their weapons to disintegrate, but this time instead of stabbing them like she had been doing she focused on the four of them before her and the two behind her who thought that she had left her back uncovered. Six lightning bolts sprung forth from her silver enclosure and struck each one at the same time and in the next moment she was surrounded by dust as she cried out her frustration with her brother.

Sookie was about to correct Eric's last sentence when she heard a disturbing thought. _My, my, my I think I have been blessed. Now Northman will know that I was the one who killed is child. I can barely contain myself, though I wish I did have time for a few rounds plunging into her depths as she tried to fight me off...as if she could...._

Eric growled harshly in her head as he heard Felipe's vile thoughts too.

_'I got it Eric!'_ She said as she took a step in their directions. Just like before she was instantly surrounded by the opposition, this time ten men with multiple weapons. She saw Victor slip into the elevator shaft, now that both sides were fighting everywhere therefore no side was completely blocking anything. _'Victor's going down the shaft, you have to catch him.'_

Eric didn't like it but he had faith in Pam, she was the fastest learning fighter he had ever come across, able to change her style in the middle of a fight with ease. She could hold out against Felipe until Sookie could get to her. He made his way over towards the elevator that was now billowing smoke from everywhere though the actual fire was contained in the metal and concrete.

Felipe attacks Pam viciously. There was nowhere else to go so she was forced to defend herself against him. Pam was a great fighter but she was no fool. She knew that Felipe had several hundred years on her and is known for his love of all things fighting. She knew that she was outmatched. _'Sookie, help!'_ She called with her mind. She wouldn't give this asshole the satisfaction of knowing her fear. Eric had taught her well, use your fear but never let it show or rule your decisions. She'd thought that it was funny because for the last few years he had been letting the fear of losing Sookie, be it by death or her finding another mate, rule his decisions.

_'Hold on Pam I am coming.'_ She heard Sookie's voice respond in her head.

Well there was really nothing else to do but use this opportunity to test her strengths and possibly learn some of Felipe's. He attacked again and this time instead of jumping away or trying to find the fastest way to flee she met his attack head on. She could see the surprise in his eyes and she was guessing that no one had done that in a very, very long time.

She is able to defend herself effectively and she could see by the expressions on his face that he is impressed with her. She can also see that because he knew who she was he was having even more fun. By the look of mister happy who was trying to stand at attention, she knew that he was more than just impressed with her fighting abilities. Her skin crawled at the thought of bedding him. He may be a king but he was filth too, and he wouldn't be a king for much longer.

He flicked his eyes to the side and sped up his attack. He seemed to be getting down to business and Pam struggled to keep up. That didn't stop her from pushing herself harder and harder. One thing that Eric always taught her was that you can always be better. So that's what she was doing. She was pushing herself to be better that she ever had been. She began switching from style to style to style in the hopes of catching him off guard, but it was no use because Felipe was so much older than her and therefore that much stronger faster.

Pam felt like a human on a tilt-a-world going a thousand miles an hour. Her muscles were screaming under the strain Felipe was inflicting. Vampires are able to fight for hours upon hours on end and yet Felipe's strength and intensity made Pam feel like she was driving full speed while someone was siphoning gas from her tank. She was not leaving any openings for him to take advantage of but it didn't matter because she was not going to be able to keep going like this. Pam was just simply no match for Felipe and she hoped that Sookie would just hurry up and get to her already.

Pam could see that Sookie was fighting and zapping the people who surrounded her but for every one she killed, five more jumped into the brawl and both allies and opponents were coming in a steady flow. No one was there to help Pam because they were too focused on not dying themselves. As great of fighters as they were, her allies were still severely outnumbered. She knows that it's just a matter of not hours but minutes before Felipe finds the opening he needs to end her existence. Pam reaches out to Sookie again.

Sookie hears the panic in Pam's mind as she realizes that Felipe is going to catch her with an opening that she's not going to be able to block. She looks up just as Felipe is making a great horizontal swipe with his sword. She wants to throw lightning but there are too many people between them, both good and bad, so she kills the thirty vampires that are crowding around her with two blasts of simultaneous group strikes. She takes the first step towards Pam and Felipe but sees it's already too late. Pam is bending backwards but she's not fast enough. Felipe's sword slices half way through Pam's neck though not entirely severing it, but it's still a kill shot and Sookie knows it.

She didn't even have a chance to open her mouth but can acutely hear as his sword cut through her flesh and the blood vessels in her neck. Sookie can hear the stomach curdling gurgle coming from her throat as blood bubbles up and into her severed esophagus as her scream is cut short. Pam's body hits the floor heavily and her head makes a sickening thwack as it hits the floor a second behind the rest of her.

Sookie's scream is a terrible high pitched gut wrenching thing to witness and it breaks everyone out of their mini battles to stare at her but she doesn't stop. The entire building starts shaking as everyone tries to stay on their feet but cannot. In one bound Sookie is on top of Pam and she sees her trying to hold on. With all the strength that she has Pam forces herself to grab Sookie's hand though neither one knows how it's even possible, but she did it.

Pam starts flaking slowly and silver tears well up in Sookie's eyes as she grips Pam's hand. Her tears tint her vision a darker silver but it doesn't obscure her vision. As they begin to fall all over Pam's face, her neck, and in her hair Sookie doesn't even try to quiet the sobs that are shaking her body so violently now.

She knows the instant when Eric has seen what she is seeing because pain explodes in her chest followed by a fury that only a thousand years on this earth could create. Usually she would feel excited or relieved or _something_ at the impending arrival of her husband but she didn't right now she failed; she's killed her friend. Her best friend was dying and all she could do was hold her hand as her skin flaked and wash her face and neck in tears. Her failure to action caused this. She knew that Eric would have killed everyone in his path in order to get to his child, whether they were friend or foe wouldn't have mattered; if they were in his way then they would have died.

The room was transfixed with Sookie as if they were in a kind of trance. There was a recurring boom, boom, boom coming from below but no one made a move to find out what it was and Sookie only had eyes for Pam. Each boom shook the floor violently, but other than bracing themselves, no one could bring themselves to move.

There was finally movement as Bill wretched himself forward falling to his knees on the other side of Pam. Then it didn't matter that no one tried to find out what that booming sound was from below because Eric finally burst through the floor with a thunderous BOOM and landed next to the hole that he made. The next second he was beside Bill and leaning over Pam.

"My child..." He said, his voice was a pained sobbed and it felt like someone stabbed Sookie in the heart just to hear it. He ran his had over Pam's forehead and through her hair, smearing Sookie's shinning silver tears into some of the flaking parts of Pam's forehead. She wasn't having thoughts but pictures some pertaining to only him and her and others that included her and Sookie, and then more that included all three of them; there was even one from when they had first met Bill and his bitch of a maker. Pam was his fourth and youngest child. He had had soft spots for all his children though none of them lived up to their true potential; and none of them had connected with him on a deeper level than father and child, except Pam. She is the only child of his that was still surviving...that is until this night.

He couldn't help but think _what if he would have ignored Sookie and did what he wanted to do?_ His instincts had never failed him before and yet he went against them anyway for her....True enough, they had Victor bound in silver but he'd happily let him go free to have his child back.

His hand shook as he repeated the motion. He opened his mouth to say something else to Pam as her eyes flicked over to his but the only thing that came out was another broken sob for his child. Sookie couldn't take it anymore and she buried her face in what used to be Pam's neck and quickly fell apart.

Bill could see the silver running off of her neck as Pam closed his eyes one last time. He didn't realize until that very moment how much she had grown on him. He didn't know quite how to classify her but he knew he would miss her. He knew that her death would hurt him. He couldn't even begin to bring himself to even look at Eric. How many times had he wished for his death? How many times did he wish the worse pain imaginable upon him so that he would have an idea of his grief? If he had known that this would have been the personification of his wishes then he would have kept them to himself. He realized that it was he who could never fathom the depth of Eric's true feelings. He could literally feel Eric breaking right beside him as he looked upon his sobbing wife crying into the disintegrating neck of his youngest child and he was suddenly on his feet. Bill still couldn't bring himself to look at him so he just slid closer to Pam's waist and picked up her flaking hand.

Everyone in the room wanted to escape but no one could move. Felipe was standing there with something between a sneer and a smirk. On his face, he didn't even realize the dire peril he was in as he looked condescendingly upon Eric. His mind swirled with happiness and validation and satisfaction. He would rub this kill in Eric's face. And then he will imprison Eric and Sookie and have his way with her right in front of him since he wasn't able to have his time with his magnificent child. Eric may have a lot of flaws but the women he chose to surround himself with was not one of them. His body responded automatically at the thoughts of what he would do to Sookie. It was only made sweeter by remembering the fear that flickered in Pam's eyes as he sliced her throat. The thought of the way it felt when his sword sliced into Pam's smooth, supple skin almost made him come on the spot. He knew his arousal permeated the air but he didn't care...Pam was worth it and thinking on her face again, his body responded and there was no _almost_ in it anymore.

"My child!" Eric seethed. "You dare kill _MY CHILD!" _He roared causing the building to begin to shake. Everyone who had managed to get back to their feet was instantly knocked down. They all looked upon Eric in terror as he stood and stepped away from his child, his wife, and his former friend and stepped closer to Felipe.

His golden enclosure that was pulled so close to his body exploded about three feet in every direction. It tinted darker gold until their vampire and were super vision could barely make him out inside. Lightning began to swirl faster and more thickly around his enclosure. It looked as if it was too much for the enclosure to handle because small sparks were thrown out from it, though they didn't go in any particular direction.

Felipe's eyes grew wide as the truth of his situation began to dawn upon him. Though he gripped his sword ever tighter, he couldn't cover up the involuntary trembling in his hands; this time it wasn't from trying to contain his arousal. He saw the silver light that surrounded Sookie, but he just figured it was some trick; she lived with a witch after all. Now that he saw Eric he was thinking that he may have been off the mark. He didn't know what kind of magic this was, and _someone_ was going to pay dearly for this loss in information.

"G-guards!" He yelled and those who were not already killed or too badly injured jumped forward. They hesitantly circled Eric though they looked at him dubiously.

"Enough!" Eric roared, this is how Sookie was delayed, and thirty lightening bolts flew from Eric and collided with the surrounding guards. They were left being nothing but thirty piles of dust.

No one else moved and there was no sound as Felipe realized that he was utterly and completely alone; this was no work of witches....

If Eric would have looked into his mind he knew he would have seen Felipe's life passing by in his mind, but he didn't care to look. Felipe didn't matter. Felipe was a non entity and who cares about the thoughts of a non entity? The only thing that Eric wanted for Felipe was to show him every little thing that he learned for a thousand years about torture. Eric didn't want to do much...except peal the layers of his skin away and separate his muscles from their bones. He'd have to do it just right so that the prick didn't bleed out on him. Eric was nothing if not patient. He didn't have the reputation he did for being a merciless killer for no reason. He thought it was time to remind everyone why people said what they did about him.

Over the last thousand years Eric learned many things about the way people, both human and vampire, acted when they knew that all hope was lost. Some broke down, some lashed out, and some tried to escape. When they knew that they had an inkling of the kind of torture that was coming their way, the most usual response was for them to try and force their potential torturer's hand to make them forget about the torture and involuntarily kill them quickly. This was Felipe's type.

Eric could smell the fear that was rolling off of him, could even feel the waves that came off of him as his body shook with terror of that realization. Then he took a deep breath and his eyes blazed defiantly, he puffed out his chest and pulled himself to his fullest height.

"So what now _Sheriff _Northman?" Felipe said calmly. "I am your king and you are under my rule. I own every vampire life in Nevada, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Your life is mine to do with what I see fit. I AM KING. I was not made to bow to a fucking _Viking_. I am of noble blood; I do not bow to you or any other fucking man, vampire or supe." His chest heaved dramatically before he continued. "I see you so called fucking _kings and queens _here tonight. What did he promise you? Money? Services? Ownership of some type in my properties or businesses? This is treason! What makes you all so sure that when he is done with me that he won't set his sights on your kingdoms? What makes you so much better than me? He told you that I was a threat of some kind and you followed him blindly. There was no proof of any of this. I am happy with what I have. My sights are no higher than maintaining my lands and making them profitable."

"This is not a court of law Felipe, you cannot plead your case to them. You are beyond anyone's help." Eric said calmly. It contrasted so harshly to Felipe's blustering that it made Felipe look more like a desperate man than a self assured king.

"I need not plead my case to anyone Viking." Felipe growled. "I am king. There is no way to change that. If you kill me then you will be signing your own death warrant. You've overstepped your bounds."

"I must disagree with you there." A voice rebuked, but it wasn't Eric who spoke the words. It was Queen Arsinoe. She stepped forward, her clothes had a few rips and her bun was now disheveled but other than that she looked unharmed. She looked absolutely radiant. She had the same glow as Stan after Briel healed him. "It is you who have overstepped your bounds as soon as you murdered Sophie-Anne. You didn't even gain it because you were the better ruler. No, you waited until she was weak and defenseless and trying to heal and then you murdered her in the middle of the night. There was no fair fight. There was no honor, and you will pay the same price that you set for her."

"Sophie-Anne wasn't fit to rule." Felipe replied indignantly. "If she were then her retinue would have protected her better than that. They would have taken her in, but no, they knew she was no longer capable to run her kingdom and I stepped up to the plate like you should have. I have undertaken the biggest mess in the United States, so that it could once again regain its former glory!"

"Bull Shit." King Joshua hissed. He looked almost perfect like he hadn't even been in a fight at all, except the soot and dust showed that he had been at the bombing of Felipe's palace. "Rhodes was horrible because of those filthy disgusting Fellowship idiots. Katrina happened months before, if you were so intent on helping you could have tried to court Sophie-Anne before Threadgrill. You could have even married after Rhodes, Sophie-Anne would have not been in any kind of position to negotiate. Don't treat us like idiots because if you weren't waiting for an opening then what took you so long to attack? You weren't trying to attack before Katrina or even after Katrina but before Rhodes. No you took the cowards way out and picked on the injured ruler."

"This is true." Stan now spoke up. All his cuts were healed but there was still died blood on him; even so, he was still positively glowing. "I too was badly injured in Rhodes, but I was fortunate that my second, Joseph, was not. He was able to keep my kingdom secure while I recuperated. There is no doubt in my mind that if Joseph were lost like Sophie-Anne's Andre, then there's no doubt in my mind that there would have been a Nevada take over of three states instead of two."

"How quickly you all are to point the finger." Felipe sneered like a sulky child. "Because I am sure that _none_ of you killed your predecessors to get where you are."

"We never said that." King Joseph said. He was disheveled but didn't look worse for the wear. "The difference between you and us, however, is that those of us who did kill to get where we are did it fairly. I killed to get my position and when my defeated king's allies came knocking on my door, some I was able to negotiate with and others that were hell bent on killing me were taken care of. When cases came against me before the Ancient Pythoness I stood and I paid my debts. We are not saying that we never killed to get where we are we are saying that we did not just pick on a defeated and injured royal when they were clearly not capable of defending themselves. We did not take over two states and spout bile about reconstruction and rebuilding and then not send so much as a new door knob to the states. More importantly we all accepted repercussions for our decisions and you are no exception."

"And you will pay for killing Sophie-Anne." Arsinoe seethed. "You picked the wrong royal kill."

"Enough!" Felipe roared. His body was shaking worse than ever. "If you have cause against me, then take it up with the Ancient Pythoness. Now all of you get the fuck out except Northman and his bitch. I will bring court against every kingdom. You have no power here and I will not be bullied by anyone. I am still KING!"

No one moved.

"You are wrong." Eric said. His voice was absolutely deadly. "You are not king."

"Is that so?" Felipe replied snarkily.

"Yes." Eric said in the same tone. "If you are king, then where are your subjects? If you are king then where is your kingdom? If you are king then where is your crown."

Felipe looked around at the few vampire's and were's that didn't jump forward when he had called a guard for Eric. They showed no signs of even thinking on it now. He had no friends and no subjects anymore. Well then, maybe he had nothing to lose...except trading in a torturous long and slow death into a short and quick one.

"Well, if I am no longer king and this is no longer my kingdom then who's is it?"

"Mine." Eric said simply.

"Because that's what you were after the whole time." He said as a statement and not a question.

"No, because I defeated you; what was yours is now mine."

"And where is your crown Viking?"

Eric lifted his hand in a gesture to Sookie who was still crouched over Pam with Bill. "There."

"That's good to know." Felipe said with a smile; and then with all his might he threw the sword in his hand right at Sookie.

Several people jump to try and stop it but they were too slow. Sookie seemed to be in her own world until she heard the sword sailing towards her. She stood quicker than anyone, but Eric, could see. Her tanned skin was tinted silver from her tears. She looked as if someone had jerked out her insides. Her shield was still pulled closely to her body and she didn't even flinch or move to catch the sword. She just let it come, and because she was now standing it hit at her stomach.

Felipe had really turned into a pansy in his royal hood because if Sookie would not have moved the sword would have hit Bill, not Sookie. Apparently while he kept up his fighting styles, he didn't do it well enough to be a true warrior. Felipe was a fighter, not a true warrior. A true warrior goes into every battle expecting to die, so that when the end comes he can do what he needs to meet it valiantly. Felipe was a fighter, a great fighter, but just a fighter none the less; knowing that this was his end he let his nerves get to him, causing him to shake. He was quickly loosing control because he was shaking so much that when he threw the sword it didn't even come close to the mark he had aimed for.

"You sick twisted fuck." Sookie said as she took a step away from Pam's still form.

Bill had a bad feeling that she was losing her temper when she cursed and if the same thing happened to her that happened to Eric then he would need to get himself and Pam's flaked corpse away from her...quickly. He pulled Pam away just in the nick of time because in the next moment he was proven correct when Sookie's silver enclosure, that fit her form snuggly, exploded two feet around her in every direction. Unlike Eric, she was now floating in mid air because when it exploded downward it dissolved the floor.

"You killed my child." Sookie seethed.

"Maybe you have spent too much time around vampires after all _Miss Stackhouse._" Felipe stated condescendingly. "She is Eric's child. You have no children, and unless you step out on your bonded or he turns you, you will _never_ have any children."

"She was mine." A sob broke from Sookie's lips and distorted the word 'mine'. "She was my CHILD!" She roared and like Eric the silver lightning that coursed through her enclosure seemed to be too much to be restrained because she too began throwing sparks.

Felipe opened his mouth to speak but didn't get to utter a sound because a silver bolt struck out from Sookie and hit him squarely in the chest. This bolt was different than the others. This bolt coursed over his skin, clearly visible on his face, neck, and hands. Felipe's body seized up and he roared in pain as electricity from Sookie's bolt forced its way into his body, causing immeasurable pain. The cell walls began to burst in his skin and his thick vampire blood began to ooze out from the hair follicles all over his skin.

Sookie gasped in surprise and just as soon as it began, the current disappeared from his skin and his blood curdling screaming dissipated. A rush of pleasure flowed through her and in the next second she realized that it was Eric's pleasure she was feeling and that was....

Felipe was bent over with his hands on his knees, gasping for breath. His body was twitching still though the bleeding had already stopped. He glared at Sookie but couldn't seem to speak yet.

"I think that angering my wife was not the best idea." Eric mused. His enclosure lightened as he was filled with the possibilities. Sookie could still feel his anger but she could also feel him giddy with the new possibilities and it made her stomach twist a little.

"Wife?" Stan said. He was just as caught up as everyone else at Sookie's display but the word wife seemed to break his trance.

"Yes, my wife." Eric said off handedly. His mind was busy with the possibilities. "We've been joined twice already."

"They have rings..." Arsinoe breathed. Everyone seemed to zero in on the rings on Eric and Sookie's hands that they hadn't noticed yet.

"Do we really have to talk about their marital status right now?" Joshua asked, completely irritated.

"You dare marry my asset without permission." Felipe managed as he tried to control his breathing. He needed to think fast. He needed to find some way to kill them. He needed to do what he did best and find a way out until he could get the vengeance he wanted so badly.

The sound of his voice completely smothered the surprise Sookie was feeling and full blown hate coursed through her again. "You dare speak! You have no right to address any of us. You foul, disgusting, pig!" She raged. "You killed my child, now it's your turn to die!" Another bolt struck out to Felipe but he jumped out of the way.

"No you don't." Eric said. He threw a bolt at Felipe, who tried to dodge it again, and this one caught him square in the chest.

Felipe was no longer able to stand and buckled onto the floor. His screams were terrible to behold as golden currents flowed over his skin. He tore at his clothes as if it would give some relief but it didn't. He began to bleed from his pores again and as the electric currents caused the capillaries to burst, dark splotches became visible under his skin. His body twitched and jerked terribly and everyone cringed at the sound of his tortured screams but no one moved to help.

"That is for threatening my wife." Eric said. "And this," another golden bolt struck Felipe. "This is for my child."

Felipe was knocked completely flat on his back by the second strike. His body spasmed and jerked as he lost control of all his muscles. His screams grew even louder and more terrible. His skin practically glowed from all the bright golden currents that were running over his skin. He rolled onto his back and his back arched so completely off the ground that the only thing still on the floor was his head and feet. His body began to fall to the side and when Sookie looked at his face she could see that the veins in his eyes had burst and the whites of his eyes had turned completely blood red.

He was now bleeding out of his eye sockets too. It reminded her of when a vampire cried but instead of tinted tears, this was all blood. She wanted him dead already. She didn't have to endure all of this. She got no pleasure in this. She would get her satisfaction in knowing he was dead.

"Eric," she said. "Can you please just kill him?"

Her question made him loose his focus as he looked at her and away from Felipe. He fought with himself for a moment at her request. He was torn; part of him wanted to find out how long Felipe could last before the currents that were bombarding his body, but the other part of him wanted to protect Sookie from having to witness it. She was not a dark creature. He monitored her when they were apart from each other, she killed quickly and humanely. She didn't take pleasure in the bloodshed...he did. He wanted this, he _needed_ this.

"Afraid to do the deed yourself?" Felipe managed through chattering teeth. His body was breaking down and he could feel it. He looked down to his hand to get a hold of the pain that he was still feeling when he saw a piece of his skin flake close to his thumb. Life was leaving him but he couldn't bring himself to the shame of submitting to someone who was lesser than him. "You need to grow up little girl. For someone being hell bent on being in the vampire world you better be able to take the nasty sides of it or you will be eaten alive. You may glow and have pretty parlor tricks," he began defiantly (even though those parlor tricks had left him a body-shaped puddle of blood). "But this is my kingdom and I will always be its rightful king." He gathered all of the strength he could muster in his shaky body then pushed himself off of the floor and back onto his feet.

Eric smiled, though it wasn't anything happy at all, Felipe had made his mind up for him. "You see Felipe that's where you're wrong. This is my kingdom." He gestured around with his sword. "And. I. Am. KING." He roared. Each word was a sentence unto itself; and with each word a bolt of lightning left him and struck Felipe. His body glowed as each bolt wrapped around his flaking skin. With Eric's proclamation of the word KING a massive bolt flew out and when it struck it knocked Felipe's flaking corpse through the massive opaque window. There was no doubt that anything but ashes would hit the ground below.

Eric's enclosure that he had been maintained about three feet around his body, exploded in every direction once again; and this time it dissolved the floor and he was floating in mid air. His golden enclosure was almost solid and he flooded the room with all his energy. It was almost as if it were an entity within itself.

Everyone both royal and common fell to their knee under the palpable pressure of Eric's energy; it was as if someone was literally pushing down on their bodies. Sookie had never seen a more glorious sight as Eric in that moment. He was magnificent and she too bowed to one knee facing him, even though she didn't have to. She wanted to.

The sight of Sookie kneeling before him along with everyone else in the room brought Eric back to himself and he was on her in a minute. He was about to pick her up when she stopped him.

_'Stop Eric, let me bow to you too.'_ She said to him silently.

_'You are my queen; you should never bow to me. We are equals...partners.'_ He replied.

_'That is true, we are partners.'_ She thought. _'And if anyone on this earth were worth me dropping to one knee it would be you. You are magnificent and you are a worthy king. Let me do this for us. There is no shame in me bowing to you.'_

_'Maybe not any shame but it's not where you belong. You belong by my side with your head held high, not bowed at my feet.'_

_'You forget how long I have been privileged to your mind Eric.'_ Sookie replied. _'These are our peers now and we have to show you as the dominant person in our relationship. We know how it really is, but this is necessary for our position.'_

Eric placed his hand under Sookie's chin and pulled a little so that she was looking at him in the eyes. "You are amazing." He stated. He pulled a little more, indicating that he wanted her to stand, and she complied. "My queen." In the next moment his lips were on hers and she wrapped herself tightly around his body. Unable to keep strict control over herself, she too flooded the room with the excess power that was too much to contain. So everyone was forced to endure the weight of both Eric and Sookie's power.

_'You may want to ease up on them.'_ Gabriel's familiar voice sounded in their heads. They broke away from each other and looked around, only to see everyone trying to stand but unable to remain upright on their feet.

"Sorry." Sookie said and she eased the power that was emanating from her until it was just enough to keep them from attacking her. Eric smirked and didn't apologize, but he did ease the flow of power he was putting out so that it was just the bare minimum. The kings and queens were the first on their feet.

"Eric!" Bill called. They looked over to find him still on the floor..._with_ Pam's body.

TBC


	24. Chapter 24

A/N: Hey everyone, I would like to thank you all for all the support that you have shown me. I appreciate all the reviews. It took me by surprise how many of you care so very much about the fate of Pam. I know that this paragraph is shorter than my usual but I think that I packed enough in there. Don't worry though, our beloved characters will get some much needed rest soon enough; I just have to have a little more fun first.

Anyway, I decided that this was a good place to add another teaser. You know how this goes, just review this chapter and a teaser from the next chapter will be sent to you. I look forward to your thoughts. Please enjoy.

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Both Eric and Sookie looked over to Bill...and Pam. Her body should have been a pile of dust but she wasn't. She was still on the ground in Bill's arms, where he had moved them so that Sookie's enclosure wouldn't touch them. Bill had his hand held up as if offering them something, and there was gray ashes all over his palm.

Sookie looked from Bill's hand to Pam's cheek where he obviously wiped it from. She wasn't crumbling and dissipating into a pile of ash as she was supposed to. She was still not moving but, from looking at the cheek that Bill had wiped clean, she was no longer flaking. In the next moment both Eric and Sookie were kneeling in front of Bill. Eric grabbed Pam's hand and Sookie began running her fingers through Pam's hair. Eric wiped his thumb over the back of Pam's hand to find the flakes that used to be her skin rolling off and Pam's pristine skin intact below.

"Pamela." Eric called tentatively. She didn't move but they could see her eyes moving behind her lids.

They listened to her mind but there were still no words, only pictures. Well not _pictures_, just one picture. It was the memory of when they were in the hotel before they left to go to Felipe's earlier that night. It was when Sookie finally woke up. Her enclosure was surrounding her and Eric but she finally got rid of it. This was the memory of when Pam dove onto the bed wrapping Sookie up in her arms and Eric looking at them fondly. As they explored the picture in Pam's mind Sookie even noticed at the bottom of it, Bill's hand and wrist on Sookie's ankle.

"Come on Pam, come back to us." Sookie pleaded as tears once again sprang to her eyes. She stroked Pam's throat where there was just an angry puckered red line where Felipe's blade had slashed her throat. "Please Pam, I'm so sorry. Just please come back."

"Yes child come back to your family." Eric said as he probed the bond he made with her when he became her maker. She was there and strong. He felt Pam's life force beating in their bond, but that's not all he felt. He also felt a bit of Sookie in his and Pam's bond too...

Sookie's silver tears dripped onto Pam's face again. Her cheeks and nose and mouth were being covered with Sookie's tears. Then Pam moved. Her mouth parted and Sookie's tears rolled into her open mouth. Seeing her movement Sookie began talking again.

"Come on Pam, I can feel you, I know you are in there. Please wake up." She cried with excitement. The picture in Pam's mind, which was dim and a little unfocused, came into perfect clarity and was very vibrant. "That's it Pam, come on. I am so sorry this happened to you. It's my fault, but you can't make me your slave and kiss your ass if you don't wake up."

More of Sookie's tears dropped into Pam's open mouth and Pam's eyes fluttered and then opened. They were a bit unfocused at first but then they focused themselves. She saw the same thing she saw when she first opened her eyes to this new life. She saw Eric. She took a breath to speak. "Eric you're my witness. I am going to hold her to that."

Eric laughed in relief. "You better, and you should make it good too."

Sookie laughed and then wrapped her arms around Pam and hugged her tightly. "Uh, Sookie?" Pam gasped. "I need to breathe."

Sookie laughed again and then pulled away. "No you don't."

"That's true but you will ruin my street cred if people think you've made me soft."

Eric, Bill, and Sookie laughed at that. So did Arsinoe, Joshua, and King Joseph who had moved closer. They had been so wrapped up in Pam that no one had noticed their audience closing in.

"God forbid any child of Eric's to be soft." Arsinoe said. "I am glad that you are alright."

"Yeah, I'm sure everyone is." Stan's voice cut in. He was standing by the window, at the hole where Felipe went out. "But I still don't have my telepath, and perhaps a bit more pressing right now...the humans are scrambling outside. We are about to get bombarded with human police and news crews."

"Well as for Barry, we still have Victor to question. As for the human police and media you all need to scramble before they get set in place." Eric said.

"What about you and Sookie?" Arsinoe asked.

"We will handle them." Eric replied. "I need begin to present myself as the new face of Vegas, but there is no reason for you all to end up in the media...unless it is your wish, then you can be my guest."

"Thanks but no thanks." Joseph said. "The more media attention one gets the more trouble has a way of finding him; especially people in _our_ position." He looked meaningfully at him and Sookie.

Eric nodded his understanding. He was very grateful that they had already begun to accept Sookie as his queen and not his consort. He thought that he would have trouble about that with the other regents, but that seemed to not be the case. Then as they were turning away to leave he saw flashes of their conversation in their minds. He didn't catch all that was said but it made sense to him that they would have a discussion amongst themselves about his and Sookie's ascension to the throne of not one but three states. It was logical, especially since they were directly helping it come to pass.

"How are you feeling Pam? Can you stand?" Eric asked.

"Are you kidding?" Pam said. "I feel amazing!" Pam rose elegantly to her feet and yet faster than she has ever moved before...ever. Bill and Eric share a look and then turned to Sookie.

"Pam," Eric said cautiously. "Race Bill around the room."

"That's so childish, but I feel so good that I will humor you." Pam said.

"Gee _thanks._" Eric replied in a voice that clearly said _I'm going to let that go because you just almost died on me._

Bill stood and took his place next to Pam. Eric yelled "GO!" and by the time Bill took five paces Pam was halfway around the room. When Bill had taken ten paces at his full speed, Pam was standing next to Eric and Sookie trying to look bored.

"Bill!" Sookie called. When he saw Pam already standing at their sides, he came to a sudden and abrupt halt. "I think it's safe for you to come back now."

"Pam, tell me how you feel." Eric said. He put his hands on the sides of her face and critically surveyed her every pore.

"I feel better than I have ever felt. I can hear for I don't know how far but I'm pretty sure I'm not supposed to be able to hear the arrival and departures at the airport, or the continued search at Felipe's former palace."

Eric focused and he too could hear all of that and more. He could hear the entire city but he blocked it out because it was so distracting.

"I can count the golden flecks in your eyes, or if I looked over your shoulder and out the window, I can see the billowing smoke of Felipe's former palace. I can smell the bottled blood Bill drank before we left and the smell of the plastic it came in. I can even smell what I assume was the machine that placed the blood in the bottles."

Bill gasped. "What about taste, what can you taste?"

"Because Eric has pulled me into his enclosure, I can taste him. His...essence. It is outweighing every other taste right now, except Sookie." Pam looked thoughtful for a moment and then looked at Sookie. "When I was on the ground you leaned over me. You were crying. Did you allow me to drink from you? Is that how you healed me?"

"No, I would never give you my blood." Sookie said solemnly, but when she saw the look on Pam's face she hurried to keep talking. "I mean, I could but I would never do that to you. If you drank from Eric or me it would drive you crazy. Once you regained your mind enough to function again, you would never be able to be around us ever again."

"But you cried on her." Eric said.

"I see where you're going with this." Bill said as he looked at the thoughtful look on Eric's face. "You think that her tears have the same healing powers as our blood gives."

"Yes, and apparently it gives a vampire the same boost of senses it gives humans."

"With none of the nasty side effects." Sookie added when she thought about how vampire blood that was sold on the black market was known to drive people crazy if it was too old or not stored properly.

"Definitely not."

"We will talk about this later. We need to get back to our hotel, we have about two hours before sunlight and we still have to deal with the press and police outside."

"What about Victor?" Sookie asked.

"You don't have to worry about Victor; I will take care of him. I think that Stan will want to help since we still don't know what happened to Barry."

Sookie shuddered and threw up a mental block for Eric. She saw what he had in store for Victor and she knew that it was the tip of the iceberg. They began walking towards the elevator shaft when something glinted off the overhead lights above. Eric turned back to see it was a small steel object about the size of the pen. It must have dropped from Felipe when he was writhing on the ground. He went back over to pick it up. Though it was the size of a pen it wasn't actually a pen; it was a case. He opened it to find ten silver toothpicks. These, however were razor sharp on both ends and were not made to clean your teeth.

_How innovative of Felipe to carry ready made torturing devices; so much less bulky than a chain or handcuffs._ He thought partly to himself and partly to Sookie. When she didn't respond he looked to see her, Pam and Bill waiting for him by the shaft. He probed her mind to find that she had blocked him out. He was confused for a second until he realized what he was thinking about right before this steel box caught his eye; _of course_ she wouldn't want to see what he had in store for Victor. He closed the box and tucked it in his pocket and then rejoined their group.

The lobby was unrecognizable...not that Sookie had ever known what it looked like in the first place. There were police and EMT's everywhere trying to get the last lingering people from the building. Firefighters were sifting through the rubble looking for people that may be buried while also putting out the last of what seemed to have been extensive fires. There were gaping holes in the walls and the floor seemed to have been ripped up. It looked like a demolition zone. There was no longer a front desk or reception area. There was no longer an entry way. There was nothing that was recognizable anymore.

Bill and Pam stepped out of the elevator shaft first. Eric and Sookie hung back in the wreckage because they were still glowing. They held both of each other's hands and closed their eyes. They began to pull their energies inside and as they did so they were hit with the revelation that it was easier than it had been the last time. Now that they think about it, the last one was easier then the time before. It seemed they were growing stronger with their abilities with out even noticing it. When it was fully contained, Sookie manage to stay airborne ten seconds before she began to fall. Before she could fall an inch Eric wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her close.

"Thanks." Sookie breathed as she fell limp in his arms breathing heavily.

"I'm always here lover." Eric replied with a smirk though she could feel his tiredness and weariness through the bond. They needed to rest, so much turmoil and upheaval had taken it's toll on them; that's not even mentioning the stress of being powered up and fighting and torturing Felipe.

As they walked further into what used to be the lobby several emergency workers came up to them asking if they were okay. Though they assured them that they were fine, the EMT's insisted on checking out Sookie as they saw how much she was leaning into Eric's side. Not wanting to draw more attention to themselves Sookie relented and they followed the EMT over to a row of rigs where people were getting checked out. As they approached one of the rigs loaded a woman quickly and then screeched down the street towards the hospital.

"Just a second ma'am and I will go get my cuff to take your blood pressure." The medical worker said as he took off towards a rig that was directly in front of them. There was a man and a child getting checked out of that same rig. The man looked alright, just a bit disheveled, but the child had a few deep cuts across his cheek, neck, and sternum. His shirt had been removed so that the EMT could treat his wounds. Sookie could see that he was trying to be brave but tears still trickled out his eyes, he wasn't more than four, and she felt guilt that they had been caught up in their war.

Suddenly the man, without warning, face went slack and he lost his grip on the boy. He fell to the side, but because the boy was standing so close to him, the kid was going to fall too but land under the man. Sookie lunged forward and wrapped her arms around the small boy and pulled him away from his falling guardian before anyone realized anything was wrong. In the next second the man hit the ground with a hard thwack and the EMT who was treating the little boy lunged to the man's side, as did the EMT that was bringing back the blood pressure cuff to check Sookie.

The little boy squirmed in Sookie's arms as he tried to turn around to see what happened. He was crying out for his daddy and tried to break Sookie's hold on him so that he could run to the man's side, but Sookie wouldn't let go. She felt a bit wobbly herself but Eric wrapped his arm around her waist to give her the extra support she needed to contain the boy who was now screaming for his dad.

"His breathing is too shallow." One medic told the other. "He refused oxygen when I was checking him out."

"Yeah it's smoke inhalation." The other replied. "We need to bag him."

The first medic jumped onto the rig and grabbed the tools he needed to intubate. When he was jumping back down he saw Sookie with the fighting child in her arms. "Don't let him go." He ordered and Sookie nodded her understanding.

The child's wails were tearing through her though and she saw how her vision started to darken as silver tears sprang to her eyes.

"Lover, try and calm him." Eric murmured. "He is just scared; see if you can distract him...and yourself." He wiped away the silver tears that had already escaped her eyes. "You can't let them see you cry."

She nodded again and took a deep breath so that she could speak. "It's going to be okay sweetie she tried to soothe. They are going to fix your daddy." The child continued to cry but her words had placated him a little and he didn't struggle as hard to get away from Sookie. Encouraged by this she shifted him around and placed him on her hip so that his legs straddled her side. "He's going to be okay, don't worry." She felt a bit of fear that she would be wrong but she had faith that he would be so she held onto that and began to rub soothing circles on his tiny bare back. "My name is Sookie, what's your name?"

"E-Ethan." He responded with a hiccup.

"That's such a great name, I like Ethan." She complimented.

He turned from his father for a second and offered her a pained and watery smile, but then he turned back to watching them work on his dad. More tears escaped Sookie's eyes as she saw how much damage Ethan had. These were not superficial cuts at all. She could tell that the EMT had cleaned them but they were still severe and very ugly. She thought that there would be no way for him to escape scars. He was such a cute boy. He had rich chocolate brown hair that was in complete disarray. His eyes were big and the most astonishing emerald color, they looked like actual jewels; though now they were stained with pain as they worked on his dad. She knew that he should probably feel a little heavy but his natural alien like form felt like a feather in her arms.

She remembered that she had to be extra careful with her new strength. More tears escaped her eyes as she couldn't help but to listen to Ethan's mind, it was screaming at her and it held all the pain and the fears his quiet sobs held for his father. She watched as different activities flashed in his mind of things that he and his father did together. There was also a beautiful woman in his thoughts but there was no doubt that this was his mother as he looked exactly like her.

She wiped the newly freed tears away from her cheeks when she had an idea. She looked over and studied Pam. She looked perfect and the angry puckered line that marked her throat was gone too. Eric cleared his throat, because she was still blocking his thoughts, and he gave her a nod. Though they weren't in each other's mind it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what she wanted to do. She looked at the silver tears that were glistening on the back of her fingers and she rubbed her knuckles across Ethan's cheek where he had a big gash from his ear to right beside his lips.

His little body shuddered at her touch but he didn't pull away and he didn't look at her either. She still listened to his mind and it was still trained on his dad. Happy that no one seemed to be paying attention she continued to apply her tears to his gash until it sparkled silver then she moved onto his neck and his chest until they looked the same.

She looked back to the medics and Ethan's father to see that they had him intubated. They were pulling the gurney out to load him. "See Ethan, they are going to take your daddy to the hospital and they are going to make him all better."

"O-okay." Ethan replied.

"Where is your mommy?" Sookie asked.

"She's in Calamornia." He said as he turned his big emerald eyes on her. "We were goin' home."

"Do you know your phone number?" She asked but she wished she hadn't because a new batch of tears sprang to his eyes as he shook his head. She could see in his mind that his parents tried to teach him a few times but he just forgot. He was too young to know the importance of it.

"Don't cry Ethan."

"Ma'am we need the boy." The EMT who wanted to check her out said. "We are taking him and his father to the hospital now and we need to get going."

"Okay." Sookie said as she handed the boy over to the medic. She noticed that all his gashes were gone now. He looked as if he'd never been injured. "Is the dad conscious?" She asked.

"No, we have to go." He was turning back to climb into the back of the rig, but Sookie couldn't let go. She had to know that Ethan was okay and it didn't seem as if the father would be giving any information any time soon with that big tube in his throat.

"Wait!" She said. The EMT turned back to her with an exacerbated sigh but she blew past him and jumped into the back of the rig. She heard the medic call out to her but she ignored him and placed her hands on the side of Ethan's Dad's head.

She didn't talk to him; instead she pushed pictures of Ethan into his mind. It was swirling aimlessly until she pushed a picture of his child in his head. When he saw that his mind focused, as much as the haziness of unconsciousness would allow. She pushed an image of his son wondering around alone, his mind cleared a bit more, and then she finds him. She pushes an image of Ethan clinging to her because he's scared and she asks Ethan what his mommy's name is. The hazy mind responded to her with a faint 'Molly'. She asked Ethan what his last name was and the dad's mind responded 'Carson'. She showed the Dad one last picture of her asking a scared Ethan what his mom's number was, and just like before the dad responded with the number she needed.

She stood up and jumped out of the rig. "This man's wife is Molly Carson and she's in California." She said to a stunned medic. She gave him her phone number but she could see that he wasn't going to call it. He didn't believe her. She growled exasperatedly and Eric stepped to her side.

He felt a tug in his pants pocket and reached in to find a black marker that he knew wasn't there before. With a smirk he held it out to Sookie. She wrote a phone number on Ethan's arm as he looked around for his brother. He saw Gabriel's mark appear in the night sky but then it was gone within a blink of an eye.

"Ethan, listen to me." He heard Sookie speak to the boy. "When you get to the hospital, you tell them that this is your mommy's number." The boy nodded. "They will call it and your mommy will come for you okay?"

"Okay." Ethan responded in a small voice. "But what if they don't? What if I am alone?" Eric could tell that the boy was scared and a vague memory of his human life sprang forward.

"Then you have someone call this number and Sookie will come to you." He answered for Sookie. He knew already what her response would have been. She was already writing her name and number on the boy's other arm. Next to his mother's name he noticed that Sookie wrote "Mother" and next to her own she wrote "Guardian". Just when he thought that she could no longer surprise him.

"We really need to go." The medic said. He wasn't as forceful as he was before because Eric was standing menacing by Sookie's side.

They watched as the ambulance pulled away. There was too much chaos and Eric decided that it would be better for them just to go and deal with the mess of this tomorrow; besides sunrise getting too close and they needed to find shelter.

They made their way back to their hotel. They quietly went up to their room but when they opened the door they were bombarded with bodies. Not only were Stan and his guard there but so were Alcide, Calvin, Donnavan, each with a few of their number. They were all broken into smaller groups talking and laughing; or in the case of Stan and his group, plotting and planning.

"What the hell?" Eric said as he took in the busy scene in front of him. Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at him.

"Sorry, Northman." Calvin said as he came forward, Donnavan and Alcide were right behind him. "It seems that Alcide, Donnavan, and I all had the same idea. We didn't know who you had to guard you and Sookie in the day time so we thought that we would offer to do the job."

"Thanks Calvin." Eric said diplomatically. "I appreciate the thought. You all may stay seeing as how you are here, besides we don't know of any trouble that we may still face as word of my ascension passes to the supe community. I think there will be safety in numbers and you all have definitely proven yourselves."

"Thanks," Alcide replied. "It's our pleasure to guard a friend of our packs and her mate."

They all quirked an eye at Alcide, because surly he had lost his mind, but there he stood with his eyes trained on Sookie. His desire for Sookie was swirling around in his head and it practically shouted in Sookie's mind. Eric was getting pissed and everyone could see it.

"Sookie, I am sorry about your brother." Calvin said. It was the first thing that shot into his mind and he just wanted to direct the conversation into a different direction before The Long Tooth Pack lost their leader.

"What brother?" Sookie asked.

Calvin smirked at her attitude but it wasn't happy in the least bit. "That's understandable, but he is your brother and we will need to talk about the consequences; though I know that now is not the time."

Sookie was so mad that she could just spit, but what she really wanted to do was get her hand on her brother's-ex brother's-neck. "Do what you will; he's in your pack after all."

"Truly but your position makes this a delicate matter." Calvin reiterated. "But like I said, I know that now is not the time. I will be in contact when you're back in Bon Temps."

Sookie didn't answer she just nodded and she let Eric pull her towards their bed.

"Pam, Bill," Eric said as they reached the door. "Go grab your coffins and bring them in here. It would ease my mind if we stayed close this day." They nodded and disappeared into their room to retrieve their things.

Eric and Sookie began shedding their clothes. Normally Eric would be ravenous and he would have his queen on every surface in every room of this suite over and over again but he was so drained, they both were. They could barely drag themselves to their luggage to find their sleep wear. By the time Sookie came out of the bathroom, having washed her face and relieved her hair from the tight bun she wore, Pam and Bill were climbing into their coffins. Sookie drug herself towards her bed. She was half way there when her legs gave out. Bill managed to catch her before she could hit the ground.

"Thanks." She managed as her head lulled back.

"Are you okay?" Bill asked as he placed her next to Eric on the bed.

"We need rest." Eric said as he pulled Sookie close to him. "It's been too much without enough time to regenerate."

"What do you need from us?" Pam asked. She wasn't feeling tired at all. She was raring to go. She could feel the pull of the sun but she didn't feel the need to sleep. She was wide awake but she knew she couldn't leave. Hmmm, what to do.... Maybe once the sun is up and Eric and Sookie are asleep she can have some fun with the weres. She smiled as she settled into her coffin at the possibilities.

_'Are you alright lover?'_ Eric asked because he was too tired to talk.

Sookie was too tired to keep her mental walls up so she just let all the voices and images from peoples minds just wash over her. _'I'm okay. I just want to sleep...for about a month.'_

_'We may be able to arrange that though how we are supposed to rule while we sleep I'm not sure.'_

_'Anything is possible.'_ Sookie said with a mental laugh that Eric joined in on.

_'I'm glad that you are okay.'_ Eric thought after a moment.

_'Me too.' _Sookie replied. She wanted to look into his eyes but she was too tired to move. _'I love you Eric.'_

_'I love you too Sookie.'_ Eric replied. They lay there enjoying each others minds as they began to shut down for the day, though the sun was already up. They didn't enter the dream realm, too weary to do so; instead they swirled in a haze of pictures and colors as they sailed together into the oblivion of a peaceful rest.

Feeling Eric and Sookie's weariness, Gabriel descended through the floors and into their suite. Eric and Sookie lay in the bed together, too tired to open their eyes but their minds still going. He approached their bed but as soon as he was within a foot of the bed a silver and golden shield erupted from Eric and Sookie and it encased the entire bed. Gabriel stopped short. He studied the enclosure, noticing the golden shield was on the outside and the silver was wrapped closer to their bodies.

Gabriel smiled. He ripped a piece of fabric from his military dress and tossed it at the enclosure. It didn't surprise him that it disintegrated upon contact. No matter, their relationship was new and these things take time. He knew he would have to earn their trust. He walked over to Bill's coffin and raised the lid up high enough to touch his hand to Bill's head, that way Bill wouldn't wake up, even when night time came back around, until he wanted him to wake. He couldn't hear what was going on in their minds but he knew that they were sluggish and he wished that he could put them into a dreamless sleep like he just did for Bill...but then again, some things will have to wait. All things will come in time.

He smiled as he looked at Pam's coffin; she was just biding her time until she could jump out and scare the crap out of the shifters in the living room and bedroom. He stood back and waited, and sure enough Pam's lid opened and she sat up, but she froze because Gabriel was standing at the bottom of her coffin with an easy smile on his face. He saw the wonder in her eyes because she's never seen anything like him before...and yet she has. He looked so much like Briel and Gabe but clearly not either. He looked like them but seemed to be missing an essential component that they had. He watched as the wheels in her head kept spinning.

"Who are you?" She asked.

"I am Gabriel." He answered simply. Again his voice was similar to Briel and Gabe's but clearly not either. His voice didn't seem to match his being, it was flat and dull. It was nice enough but ordinary all the same...it didn't fit him.

"Why are you in my master's daytime chamber?" She asked because clearly he was suicidal. "Are you really so anxious to die?"

Gabriel laughed and Pam was stunned. She _wanted_ him. She thought that Briel was amazing but Gabriel was something else. "I don't believe that question applies to me." He said with a small chuckle.

Pam climbed out of her coffin and took in the full view of Gabriel. He was dressed for battle in the style of the ancient Romans. He was...beautiful plain and simple, though there was nothing plain or simple about him. He had beautiful chocolate hair, strong chiseled features, and stood a few inches taller than she did. Instinctually she inhaled deeply and his scent assaulted her every sense. A purr erupted from her chest as she savored it. She let out the breath and breathed in again but this time there was nothing. She opened her eyes to study him again. Something seemed off. She had never smelled a scent like his before.

"I think you've had enough." He said with another laugh. "I don't want you to overdose. Sookie would be quite put out with me I'm afraid if something happened to you."

He said it with a light voice but she could hear the warning in his words. Whoever this beautiful man was, he was not what he seemed. She put aside her own desire and drove the sexual haze from her mind as she assessed the situation. She reached into her coffin and grabbed the sword she slept with. She stood at the ready for whatever Gabriel dished out. "Who are you and what do you want?" She demanded.

He looked at her as if it was cute that she was preparing to fight him. "I've already answered part of that question." He pointed out.

"Yes, you are Gabriel but you have failed to answer just what the hell it is that you want."

"Language language beautiful one. There is no need fear me. I have been watching over tonight's events and I wanted my brother and sister to be at peace so that they can rest. They have been spreading themselves pretty thin. In these early days they need to take more time to regenerate."

"What do you mean your brother and sister?" Pam demanded. His words were beautiful and seemed heartfelt but it didn't sway her suspicions.

"Sookie is my sister and Eric my brother." Gabriel said with a fond smile as he looked over to the subjects in question.

"You are lying, Eric has no brother. Sookie has a brother but you are not him and I am losing my patience with you." Pam said.

"Eric is my brother because Sookie is my sister." He replied as if it was the most obvious thing. "Honestly Pamela, do you not know who you mistress is?"

Pam growled and took a step forward. She would break him then devour him and then kill him. "Do _not _call me Pamela."

"A rose by any other name would smell as sweet. So tell me what's in a name?" Gabriel moved closer to Pam. She wasn't sure what to do. Should she attack or not? He said that he was their brother and that he wasn't there to harm them but then why would he come now, when they were at their most vulnerable? A part of her wanted to trust him but the Eric in her told her not to and she always listened to the Eric in her. She had heard Eric mention the name Gabriel before so his words could be true but if they were then she wouldn't feel the way she did; every part of her being wanted to repel him and it didn't matter how beautiful he was anymore the initial attraction was gone. She would contain him but not kill him. No, she would leave that up to her master.

She stood up and let her sword fall to her side. He smiled beautifully at her. He knew that if he just gave her a little time to weigh her options and she would come to trust him. An easy smile spread across her face as she let her eyes survey his entire body...slowly. He stood a little straighter and enjoyed her scrutiny.

"Pamela," he purred. "As you can see, your master and mistress are protected and I have a rather important update for them. Our relationship is still too new for me to be allowed to cross through their shield."

"So what do you want from me?" Pam said coyly as she batted her eyes. She sauntered closer to Gabriel.  
"There are a few things that I can think of actually." Gabriel replied as he allowed Pam to advance closer to him. He could smell her arousal and it was quite intoxicating. He inhaled deeply and he savored the taste of Pam that swirled around the room going straight from his tongue to his groin. He had to repress a groan from escaping his lips but Pam still heard it before it died in his mouth. "But right now I will settle for your blood."

Pam raised an eyebrow in question as she halted her advance on Gabriel. He continued to explain when he saw her stop. "You are my brother's child. His blood is your blood. Your blood will be recognized as a part of him and you will be allowed through to wake them."

Pam smiled coyly. "That's a good theory but it won't work."

"And why is that my good Pamela?"

Pam stopped right in front of Gabriel, though her sword was still in her hand it was still pointed downward in a relaxed position. Her breasts grazed his armored chest as she swayed slightly in front of him. "Because I've been inside my master's enclosure exactly once and that was because I was right behind him when it encased us. They have touched me while they were in their enclosures but it was because they were making a conscious decision not to hurt me. I believe that in their unconscious state me, or my blood, touching their enclosure will have the same outcome as anything else."

"That's an interesting theory you have there Pamela." Gabriel said as he lean towards her; their faces were now only millimeters away from each other. "I'm sure that we can come up to something else."

"Good." And with that word she closed the remaining distance between their mouths. She was engulfed by the intensity of Gabriel's kiss.

He wrapped his strong arms around her waist and pulled her closer to him. She moaned her pleasure and acceptance into his mouth as his tongue begged for access into hers. As he pulled her closer his cool breastplate pressed into her chest and was doing very interesting things to her skin and she wound her free hand into his thick chocolate locks. Her leg raised itself of its own volition and hitched itself on Gabriel's hip. He grabbed Pam's thigh and shifted her body closer to his. They both moaned when he ground his hips into hers.

Neither needed to breathe but they were both panting. Neither had ever felt anything remotely close to this before. "Mmm, what are you." Pam panted against Gabriel's lips. Neither could break away from the other and the more they kissed, the more they wanted each other.

"An angel, but even I don't compare to you sweet Pamela." He managed and in the next second he attacked her lips again.

They were lost within each other. He knew that he was there for a reason but somehow he couldn't recall it at that moment. She knew that she was supposed to do something along the lines of hurting or killing him but she couldn't find the will to break away from his powerful lips. They stood there completely wrapped in each other for an immeasurable amount of time until a loud boom sounded behind them in the direction of where Eric and Sookie lay together in the bed.

Pam involuntarily jerked away from Gabriel's lips and looked into his deep emerald eyes, though she didn't turn to see what caused the sudden sound behind her. She didn't need to as in the next moment a voice she had never heard before spoke. She had never heard this voice before but she recognized it instantly.

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A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Again, don't forget to review in order to get a teaser from the next chapter. Until next time...remember reviews are like hot kisses from Gabriel, please don't let me miss out LOL.


	25. Chapter 25

A/N: Hey everyone I really hope that y'all like this chapter. I would like to thank everyone for your awesome reviews. You guys really blow my mind. I really appreciate y'all taking the time to review when I know it's so much easier to just close the chapter and move on. Your reviews are like the fuel needed to keep going.

I have a few other things to say but they will be better served at the end of the chapter. So without further ado, please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters that appear in ANY of the Charlaine Harris books, everyone else is mine.

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ATL CH 25

"Step away from him Pam." Gabe and Briel said at the same time. "Now!" They said more forcefully when she didn't move.

Pam was lost in Gabriel's eyes but was slowly coming back to herself. "I can't." She managed as her purpose flowed back into her.

Gabriel smiled brilliantly at her. "Go away you second rate warrior. Pamela is mine."

"I told you." Pam began as she took a step back from Gabriel. Her eyes flashed dangerously but Gabriel didn't see it because he was concentrating on staring down Gabe and Briel. "Not to call me _Pamela_!"

Gabriel looked down at Pam with surprise to see her twirling around. He reached out to grab her but as his arm extended, so did hers. Before his hand could make purchase on her arm, Pam slid her sword directly into Gabriel's heart. She pushed until the hilt of her sword clanged loudly against Gabriel's breastplate.

His eyes darkened and changed from a soft emerald to pure black and then a vibrant blood red. His face contorted with pain and he grabbed the hilt of the sword that protruded from his chest.

"Pam, MOVE!" Gabe and Briel yelled at her but it was too late. Faster than she could even see, Gabriel's left leg raised and was bent at the knee and he kicked her with all his might squarely in the chest.

Pam sailed backward through the air. The shock held the pain of the kick away from her. Before she could wonder what she was going to hit two arms encircled her flying body. She glanced to the side and saw that she was just inches away from hitting Eric's golden enclosure. Grateful she looked to see who had caught her. She didn't feel any breasts in her back as the arms hugged her to its chest so she was inclined to believe it was Gabe. She didn't have time to dwell on it because movement in front of her caught her attention.

Pam looked back at Gabriel to see him pulling the sword from his chest and hurling it at her full force. She tried to move out the way but Gabe held onto her tightly and flung them both into Eric and Sookie's enclosures. The gold and silver welcomed them both like old friends as they stood next to her master's bed. The sword made contact with the golden enclosure not even a half of a second later and was completely disintegrated.

"Stay here." She heard Gabe and Briel say only the voice came from directly behind her, where Gabe was still holding her. She didn't respond and he didn't wait for a response.

Gabe let go of her and then stepped out of the gold and silver enclosures. Pam watched as she saw two Gabriel's face one another. She saw that the Gabriel she had stabbed in the heart, as beautiful as she thought he was, was a woeful comparison to who she now knew to be the true Gabriel. He was absolutely hideous as they stood a few feet from one another. Somehow he no longer looked anything like Gabe and Briel like she had though and she wondered how she could be so blind.

"You dare impersonate us?" Real Gabriel seethed. Again she heard both Gabe and Briel's voices come from Gabriel. Gabe and Briel...Gabriel. She wanted to smack herself upside the head for being so obtuse.

"Believe me it took a lot for my Mistress to convince me to debase myself in such a humiliating way." Imposter Gabriel replied. Pam wanted to smack herself again when the imposter spoke. Where she thought his voice sounded similar yet somewhat off before, now sounded like scratches across a chalk board when compared to the real Gabriel.

The real Gabriel growled harshly and flicked his hand; in the next moment there was a brilliant sword in his hand. "It was a mistake for you to come here tonight." Real Gabriel said as he sank into an attack position. "It was a mistake for you to even think that you could get to our brother or our sister; though you should be glad that it is us who will kill you."

"You think so Angel?" Fake Gabriel sneered.

"Yes, because if our brother knew how you dared to touch his child, we can assure that he would teach you a whole new meaning for the word torture."

Fake Gabriel's eyes flicked over to Pam for a second and though they were still bright and blood red she thought she saw something else there too; but just as quickly as it was there it was gone.

"It will be an honor to finally kill you Gabriel. You can no longer hide behind the skirt of Michael." Fake Gabriel said. "Now is your time." Fake Gabriel reached over his shoulder and though there was nothing there, it didn't stop him from pulling a large sword from absolutely nowhere.

Fake Gabriel sank into an attack crouch and they both prepared to face off. So many things swirled in her mind. Pam wanted to wake Eric but she knew that she would be unsuccessful. She could feel through their bond that there would be no waking him anytime soon. She wasn't sure how she knew but she knew that Sookie was just as much of a lost cause as Eric. She would think on how she knew that later, she had never had any of Sookie's blood and Sookie and never had any of hers but if the theory of Sookie's tears working in the same manner as vampire blood they may have the strings of a new bond forming between them. Now, however was not the time to think about it.

She kept seeing that odd look in Fake Gabriel's eyes when he looked at her and the question that she had been wondering about left her lips before she even gave it permission to. "You, imposter, who are you?"

It was not the imposter who answered her but the real Gabriel in his silky two toned voice, that still sounded like pure beauty even though he was fighting mad...literally. "He is Dragxin (pronounced Drag-sin). A dragon demon and the right hand of Lilith." When Pam didn't respond the real Gabriel turned his head towards her and looked her in the eyes; "The demon that is trying to kill Eric and Sookie."

Pam's eyes grew big as saucers and her mouth gaped opened. How could she kiss the man who is trying to kill her, her master, and her mistress (because if you try to kill them then you had to kill her too) the way she did? She turned her head away from the real Gabriel and looked at the imposter, who was already watching her intently.

He didn't stand from his crouch but, as they locked eyes on each other, she saw the same look there that she couldn't identify before. Suddenly he was groaning, and his silky skin was darkening rapidly. His hair pulled back into his skull until he was completely bald. His arms and legs and chest began to rapidly bulk up. In the next second he was nothing like the Gabriel he pretended to be. Even though he was still crouched in his attack position Pam could tell that he was just as tall as Eric was and was definitely bigger and more muscled. His skin was dark ebony but as smooth as glass. His lips were thick and full and his had a broad nose and high cheek bones. He had two silver hoops in his left ear but that seemed to be the extent of his body art. He was striking and yet the word beautiful didn't seem to cover what he was.

Pam was completely stunned and she didn't know what her face showed but she saw a small smirk cross the ebony god's face before both his face and eyes shut down and hardened as he turned back to Gabriel. "It is your time." He repeated simply. This time his voice was a deep bass that was beyond words to Pam. She didn't even get to think about it because in the next moment both Dragxin and Gabriel disappeared. She could hear the loud booms as they clashed and she could hear the thunderous sounds of their swords striking each other but her eyes couldn't move fast enough to see their actual bodies.

This pissed her off. This was probably one of the best fights she would see in a long time and here she was unable to watch it. She sat in a huff on the bed next to Eric's legs. She looked up at her Master and Mistress and she wondered how disappointed they would be in her. How could she let herself be so wrapped up in a complete stranger that she forgot her duty to protect them...hell she forgot her own name when he was kissing her. If her irritation at him for calling her Pamela she probably would still be with him...she was ashamed of herself. She doesn't know what came over her. She wasn't some weak, air headed, Barbie princess vampire. She was Pamela, child of the great Viking Eric the Norse Man. She was born a fighter from a master of war. She knew to look for the big picture; and for the undead life of her she couldn't figure out why she didn't.

The clashes of the fight between Gabriel and Dragxin became louder and louder and Pam wondered how the shifters could possibly disregard such a ruckus. She listened for them and she didn't hear anything. She didn't hear them talking or breathing, or even their hearts beating. There was absolute silence, and she couldn't believe that they had left? What kind of guardians were they? She knew that she better make room in her closet because she was going to have an excess of fur clothing.

She realized that when she was concentrating on listening for the shifters she could hear Gabriel and Dragxin clearer. She turned to where she thought that they were fighting and she concentrated on seeing them. She'd had Sookie's tears and every other sense was boosted, maybe it was enough to where she could see them. After a few moments she could see flashes. Dragxin lunging for Gabriel but Gabriel catching him by his enormous wrist and breaking it. Gabriel dodging a roundhouse kick. Gabriel disarming Dragxin and with a powerful kick Dragxin was on his back.

They were still moving too fast for her to catch everything but she got the gist of what was going on, and that was that Gabriel was kicking Dragxin's ass. Engrossed with the battle and channeling all of her energy so that she could focus and not miss anything, Pam didn't realize that she had got up from the bed. She took a step forward as she watched Gabriel bend in an impossible angle in order to dodge the sword of Dragxin. She was hypnotized by the violent dance before her and she couldn't believe the level in which they both were fighting on. She had never seen anything like it before. When she watched Eric and Sookie fight at the banquet and again here in Vegas it was so one sided. It was impressive but still one sided, and if she didn't inherit anything else from Eric she inherited the love of a good fight.

"Don't Pam!" Gabriel yelled as he pinned Dragxin to the ground firmly with his boot on his chest. Pam froze at her name being called during such a dangerous fight. She looked down and saw that she was in mid stride and was at the edge of Sookie's enclosure. She hadn't even realized that she had moved forward. All the same she stepped back to the bed.

Dragxin gripped Gabriel's ankle but was unable to remove his foot from his chest, despite Gabriel being half his size. Desperate he swung his sword at Gabriel, who moved in order to avoid the blade. Dragxin took the opening and quickly got to his feet. In the next second they were fighting again. Dragxin was bigger, by far, than Gabriel but Gabriel was faster and stronger. Gabriel remained focused while Dragxin became angrier and angrier that Gabriel wasn't an easy win. He began making mistake after mistake. He was barely able to deflect kill shots and he knew that he had to get out of there but he wasn't being given a big enough window to disappear in.

Gabriel attacked Dragxin fiercely. He knew that Dragxin was no match for his ability but he didn't want to just out and out kill him. If he could capture him instead, then they could extract the location and plans of Lilith. No, this wasn't about personal glory, or even about his ego; there were greater things at stake than just him. It wasn't long before he saw the opening he needed. Dragxin was still wearing the Roman military uniform, but that didn't stop Gabriel's sword from slicing through it like it wasn't even there. Dragxin was a strong demon but that didn't keep Gabriel's sword from slicing into him also. Gabriel felt the slight jolt as he cut through two of the demon's ribs. He pulled his sword back to see it covered in the thick black ooze that was the demon's blood...or the equivalent of blood.

Dragxin's eyes grew in disbelief as Gabriel carved into his thickly muscled torso. He touched where the wound was and pulled his hand back to see his ebony hand drenched in his own blood. His knees went weak and he crashed into the ground with a resounding thud. He put one hand forward and caught himself before he could fall completely face down on the ground.

Gabriel, satisfied that Dragxin was wounded severely enough he couldn't escape but not die, held his free hand out and a white glowing rope appeared. It was something he had made himself; it would weaken and bind demons. He stepped forward but before he could put the rope in place Dragxin gathered the last of his fleeting energy and disappeared. Gabriel roared in frustration.

He stood there for a minute, chest heaving and just looking at the spot that a severely wounded Dragxin disappeared from. Pam had moved as close to the enclosures as she could without actually passing through them watching the same spot as Gabriel, and then at Gabriel himself. Gabriel soon turned to face her and he didn't look happy at all. He had black splotches all over himself where Dragxin's blood splattered on him during their fight, though he himself didn't seem to have any wounds at all. They locked eyes and, though she would never admit it, Pam was scared. She wanted to look away but couldn't break Gabriel's penetrating stare. Then without warning his eyes turned completely white and began to glow brilliantly. A moment later the rest of his body was enclosed in a brilliant white light that Pam couldn't see through at all. Pam took the moment to look away and step back closer to where Eric lay.

When the light went away she was able to see that he was completely clean. He also was no longer wearing the Roman military armor, but instead was wearing a pristine white knee length kilt that tied over his right shoulder. There was a round disk hovering over the front of his shoulder with a mark that Pam didn't recognize and he had on leather sandals. His chocolate locks were impeccably placed and his emerald eyes shined. He looked as if he had never been in a fight. Pam quickly took all this in, also noting that he did not look happy...still.

"Are you injured?" He asked in a careful voice. Pam got the feeling that he was trying to contain his temper.

She felt her chest, where Dragxin planted his foot. There was a dull ache but nothing more, and even that would disappear soon. "I am not." She replied.

"He could have killed you." Gabriel stated. "His foot should have broken through your ribcage. You shouldn't still be here. We should be rousing my brother and sister and explaining to them why, instead of regenerating like they need, their child is no more."

"Sorry to disappoint you." Pam drawled.

"Don't take that tone with us Pamela." Gabriel snapped. Pam winced at the use of her full name. She really hated that. Her parents called her that and she despised that and Eric only called her that when she'd crossed a line. _No one_ called her that _ever_, but she didn't think that pointing this out would be a good move at the moment. "You acted irresponsibly and you are lucky to be alive. Speaking of why _are_ you still alive?"

Pam looked down. She had already knew all of this, but hearing it out loud made her feel all the worse. She never regretted anything and yet if she would have taken herself away from Eric, she wouldn't ever be able to forgive herself...though she'd highly doubt she would care if she were dead (finally) but the sentiment was still there. She knew that there was nothing worse for her to do to him.

Gabriel stepped closer to the enclosures and she looked up to see him examining her with a critical eye. When he passed through Eric's enclosure, it disappeared; the same thing happened when he passed through Sookie's silver enclosure. He stood in front of her and inhaled deeply.

"You've had Sera's tears. This must be their effect on vampires." He stated, because it clearly wasn't a question. Whatever he smelled made him certain of that fact. He could distinctly smell Sera's essence within Pam.

"That's the second time I've heard her called Sera." Pam stated. Since he seemed to be on a different avenue than anger at her actions, she would at the very least get some of the answers that have been raging through her mind. "Her name is Sookie; why do you call her Sera?"

"Because Sera is her true name. The name she held before she came to this earth. She is our sister." Gabriel responded. "We are Gabriel, but we will let Sera and Eric explain our connection to you. They will tell you in their own time. The important thing is to know that you are to trust no stranger at all. As you just saw, your enemies can change their shape."

"Then why should I trust you?" Pam asked. She was getting a little sick of his holier-then-thou attitude. She was not a child and she would not be spoken to like one.

"You mean besides the fact that we can move through Eric and Sera's shields without disintegrating?" Gabriel asked sarcastically. "What did you feel when you first saw the imposter?"

She thought a moment before she answered. "That he looked like Gabe and Briel, only...not. There was something off; and then I felt as if I shouldn't trust him. Then I felt I should kill him."

"You wanted him." Gabriel stated, again not an actual question.

"Yes." She responded; she didn't see the point of lying.

"We're glad you think we are so attractive." He jibed as he fluttered his eye lashes. "We know we are beautiful but you really should think before you kiss. We are not that type of angel."

Pam rolled her eyes. "Angel?" She asked.

"Don't try to change the subject Pam." Gabriel teased her. "What no more kisses for us?"

Pam growled. "Why are you talking in the plural? There is only one of you, and that one is very annoying. Where are Gabe and Briel? I think I prefer them." She hoped that she had phrased her question right enough for him to answer it.

"We know what you want to know Pam; you don't have to indulge us. If you want to know just ask." Gabriel said as he smiled innocently at her. You would've never guessed from his happy demeanor that he had just fought, much less had been mad at her. "I am Gabe. I am Briel."

Pam didn't speak. This is what she had thought before, and yet she still wanted to know more. She wanted to see him...well, she wanted to see him do whatever it is he did to become Gabe and Briel. He said to just ask what she wanted to know so she did. "Show me."

Gabriel smiled at her like she had gotten the million dollar question right. White mist gathered around him and then there was a blinding light and a slight whooshing sound. In the next moment there were two Gabriels in front of her though this time one wasn't an imposter. She recognized them as the two beings that she had met up with earlier in the night before the went to Felipe's hotel. This was Gabe. This was Briel.

Pam was completely shocked. She stood there taking them both in and trying to process the fact that she wasn't dreaming. This was so unreal.

"It's okay Pam." Briel said in a gentle tone. "You can relax."

"Give her a minute." Gabe spoke. "If we wait long enough we will see her have a cow."

Briel's musical laughter is what broke Pam out of her shock. She had the feeling that she was going down the wrong rabbit hole and that she was completely over her head. "What the hell am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to defend against this?"

"We will help you." Gabe spoke as if it were the obvious thing.

"Why hasn't anyone burst into here?"

Briel raised her hand. "Guilty. I may have frozen them so that they won't be the wiser."

"We thought it best when we saw Dragxin here with you; the less that were involved, the better. He would have used them against us and we couldn't have that." Gabe said with an easy shrug.

"By the way, aren't you the least bit tired? The sun is fully out." Briel looked at her appraisingly.

"No," Pam shrugged. "I feel fine, wide awake, and strong. I have never felt so great."

Gabe chuckled. "It's Sera's tears. They make you feel this way, but you should sleep."

"I'm not tired. I don't even feel the pull of the sun."

"We can counter act that."

Pam looked at them dubiously. She didn't want this feeling to go away. She didn't want to lose her strength and speed. If this is how Eric and Sookie now felt then she never wanted to go back.

Briel began laughing this time. "You won't lose the other effects of Sookie's tears. You will just sleep until Eric and Sera wake. When they wake you will too."

"Who will guard us then?" Pam asked. "Dragxin just proved he didn't have to use the front door to get in here."

"We will guard you" Gabe answered "especially after this attack. We would prefer you weren't left unguarded while Eric and Sera are regenerating."

"We definitely are going to have to talk to them about proper regeneration." Briel said.

"Indeed." Gabe agreed.

"I think that you should sleep now Pam." Briel said.

Pam pouted. "I never get to have any fun. Ever since Eric met Sookie he's been such a stick in the mud."

They both laughed at her. "Go on Pam. We promise that you will feel better than you do even now."

"Fine." Pam huffed and walked over to her coffin and climbed in. "You guys are no fun at all."

"We will have the chance to change that thought I promise." Gabe assured her.

Pam rolled her eyes and lay back in her coffin. Gabe placed his hand on her cheek. Pam felt a slight jolt before she was whisked into a peaceful oblivion of sleep. They closed the top of her coffin and locked it in place. When she was safely asleep and secure Gabe and Briel closed their eyes and focused on everything two floors above and below them. When they saw the demon with Pam they knew that there would be a fight so they didn't only freeze the shifters outside, but everything on the floor, plus two floors above and below. It seemed that it was good thinking because there were no signs that anyone had heard anything; there were no alerts to the ruckus from his fight.

As they scanned everything they felt a faint trace of Dragxin's power still lingering. They unfroze the floors and then followed the power signature. It seemed to not only be on the same floor but in this same room. It didn't take them long to surmise that it was coming from Bill's coffin. They opened it to find Bill there dead to the world. There was not a physical mark on him but there was no denying that he had been touched by darkness. Gabe placed his hands on both sides of Bill's head while Briel laid her hands over his non beating heart. They were instantly engulfed into the darkness of Bill's mind. They were not sure when Dragxin planned on Bill waking, but if Bill woke in this state he would murder half of Las Vegas.

Briel and Gabe looked up into each others eyes, Briel in horror and Gabe in anger, and together they began to chant. The words that they spoke were in a language that had been dead since before man set foot on the earth. No one used it, not even the other angels, no one except Gabriel, Michael, Zeus, Hera, Odin, Freyja, and Sera. It was their language; a language that no one understood but them because it was of their creation. They let the dead words roll and rasp out as they flowed easily from their lips. It was as fluid as water, and more beautiful than a symphony. It was jagged and smooth at the same time and it fit perfectly around the personalities of each speaker.

Bill's body glowed as their words flowed over him and washed the evilness of Dragxin away. But Bill was damaged; and though he was not conscious his unconsciousness had accepted part of Dragxin's essence. There was no way for them to purge it from Bill unless Bill willingly let it go...and he wasn't. They continued to speak their powerful words, pouring their peace over his corpse but it lay over him like a blanket. Their peace isn't what Bill wanted. Frustrated Gabe and Briel let go of Bill and watched as their peace rolled over Bill's body like water on a hardened ground. Perhaps like the hardened ground, if left upon Bill, the peace would slowly penetrate and absorb. They closed and locked Bill's coffin, hoping for the best, and let him rest under the blanket of their peace. They knew it was a long shot. Bill was in a dark place so it's easier for him to give into the darkness rather than the light.

"We can't put this off anymore." Briel said as she turned to face Gabe.

"I know." He responded. "I'm just not in a rush to hear his mouth. Michael is not going to be in a happy mood."

"True, but it will be worse the longer we let it sit." Briel reasoned. "Besides you know that anything to do with Sera is the quickest way to get that protectiveness quirk of his going."

"Fine, but you are going to be the one talking." Gabe sulked. "If his mood is anywhere near where I think it will be, I don't want to be anywhere around him."

"Yes because you can really just up and leave me." Briel smiled.

"You annoy me." Gabe glared at his other half.

"Don't talk about yourself like that love," she teased. "Say it with me, 'I am somebody'."

Gabe rolled his eyes at her, knowing that any comment he made would be turned against him. He had a fleeting thought about whether or not hitting her would be considered self flagellation...too bad that he would never find out. He would never hit a woman...even if she were a part of him but maybe, just maybe he could talk Freyja into it...she was always up for a fight.

"Go ahead lesser half." Briel said with a growing smile. "I'm sure that Zeus would be happy to take you out for me."

"Ooo I am so scared." Gabe taunted.

"No you're just procrastinating so that we don't have to face Michael's anger."

"You think that hanging out with us would mellow him out." He mused.

"Nope," She shook her head slightly. "That stick is firmly stuck-"

"Exactly where would that be Briel?" Michael said. He appeared out of nowhere next to Sera's side of the bed. He was not looking at them but at Sera.

"I don't know." Briel said quickly. "Gabe was just about to tell me." She smiled innocently as she threw her other half under the bus.

Michael laughed. "Aren't you supposed to protect each other instead of throwing one another to the dogs?"

Briel shrugged. "It depends on the day."

Gabe smirked. "Would you be calling yourself a dog? You really should have more confidence in yourself brother. What is it that the humans say?"

"Self esteem is everything." Briel answered for him.

"And you both should know that I know you two well enough to know when you are avoiding a subject." He brushed his fingers lovingly over Sera's cheek. She was at peace; completely worn from all the events that has kept her charged up in such a short period of time. He wouldn't be surprised if they slept a few days. They were already sleeping twelve hours or more but this time they really overdid it.

Gabriel watched over them on the earth but he couldn't help but watch the events play out from afar. He was proud of them both but he knew that they were running on nothing but fumes and even that was running out.

"I'm waiting." He said when neither Briel nor Gabe answered him. He took a deep breath and inhaled the sweet perfume of his sister, the masculine musk of his newest brother, the nervousness of Gabe and Briel, and the scent of demon. "Tell me why I smell demon in this room where our sister and brother lay unprotected when you were supposed to be watching over them? Who is that I smell? It seems familiar."

"Dragxin." Briel said soberly.

"We were here." Gabe began. "We watched the entire thing from above. We gave a frozen Sera the inescapable pull to be next to Pam when Felipe slashed her throat."

"And we stayed and watched Felipe's death." Briel picked up where Gabe left off. "We watched as Pam healed and as the war broke up. We even saw Sera care for a small boy, even after all she had been through."

"We watched them all the way back to this room and watched as Pam twitched with excitement at not being tired even though it was day. Sera and Eric pretty much passed out as soon as their heads hit the pillows."

"They were safe here, surrounded by security in the front room." Briel paused, seeming to want to phrase her words correctly, and Gabe didn't interfere with that. "Our assignment ended so we went home to report back to you but you were not there. We looked and neither were the others."

"We asked around and one of the troop angels told us that you all had a lead on Lilith and you took a small regiment to follow it. He said that Freyja, Zeus, Hera, and Odin refused to be left behind. We were focusing on finding you but then we felt Eric and Sera's shield go up."

"We were just keeping an eye on them because we knew how deeply they were out and we just wanted to ensure that nothing got to them." Where she was speaking carefully before she was speaking more rapidly now. "We locked back onto Sera and Eric, but found nothing but their shield, they were too far gone. We did, however, hear the frantic thoughts of Pam. She was thinking about how beautiful we are but how we just didn't seem right to her. She was marking us as a danger. We looked down to see an imposter standing there with Pam so we went back."

"It was Dragxin." Gabe spat. "He was impersonating us to get close to our brother and sister, but their shield wouldn't yield for him. He found Pam still up, because of Sera's tears by the way, and he was going to hurt her in order to get to them."

"But he didn't hurt her." Briel chimed in perplexed. "They were making out when we arrived. They didn't even notice when we arrived so we froze the surrounding floors of the hotel and stomped with thunder. Only then did they seem to unwrap from one another."

"It was quite weird." Gabe admitted. "I have watched Pam do some odd and crazy things but I have never seen her so wrapped up in a stranger."

"Although it didn't last long because Dragxin kept calling her Pamela." Briel snorted. "That earned him a sword through the heart."

"He seemed just as enamored with her as she was with him." Gabe continued in a confused sort of voice. It was like having two pieces of a puzzle but not having the common piece they share to link them together. "He soon came to and tried to kill her. He kicked her in the chest with all his might and if she hadn't been outfitted with Sookie's tears I believe that she would have met her final death."

"We defended what was ours." Briel stated. Gabe looked at her to see that she still had the spark of battle in her eyes. Briel loved nothing more than a good fight. She was the aggressor of them and he was the passive. "We fatally wounded him, but not to the point where he couldn't be saved in enough time."

"We thought that we could use him to find Lilith." Gabe said though now his face darkened. "But right before we could bind him he gathered what strength he could and disappeared. He may have gotten to Lilith in time to be healed, though it would have been a close call."

Michael didn't speak at first. He was satisfied that there was nothing more wrong with Sera besides fatigue. He walked around the bed to Eric's side and touched his palm to Eric's forehead. He determined the same for him. He was thrilled that no harm came to them; even though they were unconscious their enclosure seemed to instinctively protect them. He focused for a moment on Pam's coffin and then on Bill's. "Why do I feel your power pulsing from Bill's coffin?" He asked as he walked over.

"Dragxin touched him and his power seeped into Bill, he willingly accepted it." Briel explained. "We were able to remove most of it but the last bit Bill holds onto it."

"So we settled our peace over him in hopes to counteract the evil."

"Show me." Michael demanded. They walked over to Bill's coffin and they raised the lid for Michael.

Michael could feel both the good and bad coming from Bill. He reached in and placed his hands on either side of Bill's head and closed his eyes and focused on the vampire. Despite the way he'd been acting through the battle, Bill was still deeply tormented and broken. Sera would have to do something about this soon. He wondered what she had planned and wished he could just ask her, but that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. The peace that Gabriel had tried to cover Bill in was useless; he wasn't in a place where it would be beneficial, even in his unconscious...especially in his unconscious state.

"Remove it." He said as he removed his hands.

"But maybe if we left it, something could seep into him." Briel protested.

"No, it won't work." Michael said. "Remove it."

Gabe sighed dramatically and placed his hand over Bill's chest and with a few short words he removed the peace from him. "Will he be a threat?" Gabe asked.

Michael focused on Bill for another second. "No, Dragxin's influence is not great. Bill will retain his own mind. Though I think that when Sera and Eric wake, they should be made aware, we won't know how he will deal with Dragxin's influence until he wakes."

"Perhaps they could all use a little rest." Briel murmured.

"Perhaps you are right." Michael said thoughtfully.

"But that's impossible." Gabe commented. "I know that they have been through the ringer, more than anyone deserves to be, but there's no way around it. Time stops for no man."

"Technically they are three vampires and an angel." Briel chimed in.

"It doesn't matter." Gabe snapped at his other half. "We can't freeze the world for them. All we can do is be here to support them."

"Or, you could take their place for a while." Michael said eyeing both halves of Gabriel.

"What?" Briel and Gabe spoke simultaneously.

"We can't stop time for them, but we can give them time to fully rest or regenerate."

"But it will take Eric and Sera days to fully regenerate." Gabe pointed out.

"That doesn't matter." Michael insisted. "We need to stay close to them, especially with this latest attack. You and Briel can take the place of Eric and Sera. I know that Freyja wants to be close to Eric, so she can take the place of Pam. We can replace Bill with Zeus, he's been too long in the tracking of Lilith and he needs a break before he snaps."

"Yeah we know what happened the last time he snapped." Gabe said with a small laugh.

"Hey Chicago only burned for two days." Briel defended with a smile. "And to this day no one suspects it was his wayward lightning bolt."

"Yes the poor cow got all the blame."

"Enough you two." Michael said. He knew that if he didn't cut in that they would keep this up for hours. "Change."

Gabe and Briel faced one another and in the next second they shimmered and it was no longer Gabe and Briel standing there, but Eric and Sookie. "How is this?" They asked in unison.

"You have the look, but you need to tone down the shine." Michael said. Every angel had an inner light that shined from within. Though they looked like Eric and Sera, they still glowed like angels and there's no way that that would go unnoticed. He watched as Eric and Sera went from looking other worldly to a more accurate depiction of the originals. "Great."

"You've never looked so great." Sera-Briel said as she eyed Eric-Gabe.

"You know I could say the same." Eric-Gabe said and Sera-Briel stuck her tongue out at him.

"Enough you two." Michael huffed. "Will you ever grow up?"

"Well you know you're only as young as you feel...Grandpa." Eric-Gabe said as Sera-Briel laughed.

"And just because we get older, doesn't mean that we have to be old." She piped in.

"Whatever." Michael said. He didn't want to get into this discussion with them, especially here. It never ended in a pretty manner and frankly they didn't have the time to waste.

He called Zeus and Freyja down and explained the plan to them and Zeus was visibly relaxed. Freyja was just happy for the change of pace. She had never spent large amounts of time on earth and she was glad for the new experience.

Once Zeus and Freyja were changed into Bill and Pam, Michael called on three of their troop angels to come. Evan, Tennyson, and Murphy were all good soldiers. They were all eager for the job too. They had been fond of Sera, and they too missed her when she left for earth. She seemed to have a unique connection with everyone that she encountered. Tennyson, Murphy and Evan took her protection as more than a job; they took it as a personal responsibility. They were often referred to as 'The Triplets', not because they looked alike but because they preferred to spend their time together, it was rare that you saw one without the others.

"You must remain invisible, and allow no one but us in this room, understood?" Michael asked. "Do whatever you must to keep them safe. They are our top priority."

"Understood." They all repeated in unison.

"When they awake reveal yourself if the others are not back; be sure to signal them to alert them." Michael continued. "It is imperative that they don't leave this room. We cannot have two of them walking around. Bill and Pam should awaken when Eric and Sera do. Any questions?"

"No sir." They all responded in unison again.

"Good." Michael replied as he turned to take his leave. Sensing his immediate departure they all balled their right fist and touched it to their left shoulder in their salute. Their movements were identical and practiced and precise. They bowed their heads to their commander and felt his departure from them. When they raised their heads, they were greeted with his absence.

For a few moments they all stood there, unknowing about what they should be doing but Gabe-Eric soon took the reigns. "Tennyson, Murphy, and Evan since you will be here when we are not you should learn every part of this hotel. Go invisible and acquaint yourselves with this entire building while we stay here on guard." They nodded their heads and were gone in the next second.

"Tell us." Freyja demanded as soon as the triplets were gone.

This was expected. Gabe and Briel retold the events of the night. Zeus and Freyja looked on with rapt attention. When they were talking about the fight with Dragxin their eyes glowed in excitement.

"You know if you went for the kill instead of capture, he wouldn't have gotten away." Zeus pointed out.

"But we wouldn't have been able to use him to get the info." Freyja defended.

"But we still don't have any information." Zeus replied.

"But he had to take that chance."

"Indeed." Zeus relented after thinking on it a while.

"Anyway I believe that we need to make a plan." Gabe said. "This is going to be the most instrumental time in their rule, and we need to figure out how we will handle this."

"I think that we should only decide things that can't wait." Freyja said. "Business plans, meetings where general vampire introductions are made can all wait until Eric and Sera are awake."

"Definitely." Zeus agreed. "Emergency business only."

"Fine." Gabe said. "We need to see if Sandy is still here so that she can begin setting things up before she leaves for Louisiana."

"We can handle that." Briel followed. "Eric told her to lay low, but not to leave so she should still be here."

"We should go on and order a count of all of Felipe's holdings. That should take a little bit to gather." Zeus suggested. "Especially with his ostentatious tendencies, there's no doubt a lot to account for."

"Okay, so an account of Felipe's finances and holdings," Freyja began to count off. "I believe we should setup a temporary office/headquarters too."

"Yes, the palace is a little too heavily decorated in rubble for my taste." Gabe quipped.

"Which reminds me; we should oversee the search and rescue there, as well as try to recover what we can from the rubble also." Zeus stated.

"See, I think that we can find enough to keep up busy while Sera and her bonded rest." Briel said with a smile. She liked that they were able to handle some of the menial things that would take some of the pressure off of their shoulders. They needed a break desperately but, if she knew Eric or Sera at all, she knew that they would drive themselves forward. They both were hard workers that believed in pushing themselves to get their jobs done. It's an admirable quality but sometimes it makes it hard to realize when enough was enough. After what they had been through in such a short period of time...it was definitely enough.

They continued to discuss things that could and could not wait when the first test of their new facade came. There was a light knock on the door. They realized that it was no longer morning but afternoon and the shifters would expect Sera to make an appearance at some point or another.

"Sookie, it's me." Sam said through the door. "It's late and I wanted to see if you were hungry."

There was no answer from within. Sam looked back at Alcide and Calvin for a moment before he turned back to the door. He had camped out last night, figuring that there was really no place to go. It didn't matter to him because he loves to camp or do anything in the great outdoors, but now that it was a respectable time in the morning...afternoon, he wanted to check up on his favorite waitress. Although, if he were being honest, he would admit that it had been a while since he'd seen Sookie...without the weapons and silver hair and eyes and enclosure. He wanted to make sure that his friend was still alive and well in this new powerful being.

Calvin and Alcide said that she hadn't made a peep all morning, and that they were refraining from going inside because they knew that Eric, Pam, and Bill were at rest in the room; they figured that Sookie would come out when she was ready to do so. Donovann was leaving to check on the rest of his pack when he was arriving. They exchanged a few pleasantries but Sam could tell that he was preoccupied with getting his pack home. From the piece of conversation that he had overheard, Sam gathered that Donovann's pack had been systematically moving out and it seemed that this was the last stage of their disengagement.

Sam thought that he and Sookie could maybe have brunch together. So much had happened and it would be great if he could talk with her about it so that he would understand it himself. So many questions swirled in his mind. He also just missed his friend too. He missed that camaraderie they seem to share so easily. He knew that when they got back to Louisiana their relationship would change drastically, especially with her being a Queen now. It's not exactly like she can be a vampire queen and still wait tables at the bar. What if she didn't come back to Louisiana? What if they decided to stay in Vegas? His chest tightened at the thought that he wouldn't see his friend again. He took a deep breath to calm himself. They really needed to talk. He was planning on leaving sometime today to get back to his bar, but he would like to see Sookie before he left.

"Sookie?" Sam called again. This time Sam was turning the knob on the door. Gabe, Briel, Zeus and Freyja all looked at one another as Sam began opening the door. They had a split second to figure out what to do. As much as Sam was used to in the supernatural world, if he opened the door to see two Sookies and two Erics there would need to be one heck of an explanation...and even then it wasn't guaranteed to go well. How would they explain why Pam and Bill weren't asleep since it was daytime. He pushed the door open further. "Sookie are you awake in there?"

He stepped into the quiet room and his eyes immediately fell on Sookie. Sam couldn't help the gasp that escaped his lips as his eyes fell on his friend.

"Oh Sookie." He whispered.

TBC

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A/N: Alright everyone I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I know you are probably missing our favorite couple but they really do need to rest for a while. Besides, I have some interesting things planned for our favorite angels....

I thought that it was funny that no one seemed to see how out of character it was for Gabriel to be kissing Pam. In fact most of you were rooting for them. I didn't want anyone to guess that that wasn't the reak Gabriel and I guess I got my wish. So what do you think of Dragxin? He was a new development and I can't wait to see what kind of evil he does, because he has to be some kind of bad to be Lilith's second.

You all know that I couldn't get rid of Pam, who would tease Eric if she were to die? No worries about Victor, he will get what's coming to him. Eric is particularly excited about it and if Vikings did a happy dance he would be doing it now.

Pleas note also that Gabriel only speaks in the plural (or is supposed to) when he is Gabriel, when he's seperated into Gabe and Briel he does not.

Thanks again for all your reviews. Please keep them coming. Reviews are better then laying next to a regenerating naked Viking. So review review review!


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I do not own anyone who appears in ANY of the Charlaine Harris books, everyone else is MINE.

A/N: First I would like to thank everyone for being patient while I wrote this chapter. I would also like to thank everyone who has taken the time to review my work. I can't tell you how much it means to me to hear what you all think of my work. Thank you all for being honest with me, its great motivation to write as fast a possible. There is just one quick thing that I want to address before I get out of your way.

I have been informed by several people that they have enjoyed my Q&A's and discussions that I have held in open chats. I would like to say that I have NEVER held a Q&A session or a discussion in an open chat room...EVER. I'm sorry for those of you who thought you were speaking to me but it was not. There's two reasons that I haven't done this. First, there isn't a way to verify that it's actually me; so if I start others can impersonate me and give you all false information. Secondly, I just didn't know that it was something you all were interested in. I thought it would be a bit conceited to assume that y'all wanted that from me.

I do want to meet the needs of my readers and for this reason only I have went ahead and created a forum for everyone to speak to me and others about ATL. This is the only place that I will hold discussions because its the only way I can guarantee that you are speaking to me. If for some reason I have to eat my words then please please don't believe that its me unless I've posted the info on my profile. If someone with my name is in a public chat talking about ATL and its not on my ff profile, then don't believe anything that is being said.

Now that that's done I will no longer stand in your way. Remember that the link to my forum is on my profile, and now please...ENJOY!

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Once upon a time in a land far far away lived a beautiful princess and everyone loved her. She was smart and kind and giving to everyone. Though she was royal she treated everyone as if they were royalty; like everyone had value, and it didn't matter if they were the richest merchant or the poorest peasant because everyone was worthy to her. Her servants loved her so much because even though the Princess was told over and over to let the servants do their job, she always helped them with their chores. She didn't believe in being pampered or being put up on a pedestal. She was a princess but all she wanted was to be treated as a person.

Everyday the beautiful princess would walk through the kingdom among the people. She would walk and talk and visit with all the subjects in the land. Little boys would kiss her hand and little girls would present her with picked flowers as they showed her their practiced curtsied. The sweet Princess would laugh and play with the children and would always leave them with a treat. She loved the children and they loved her.

The Princess made many stops throughout the day and everyone always welcomed her with open arms. One of her stops was to see her good friend Sam. Sam had known the Princess for years and they had grown quite close. Sam really loved the Princess but never felt he was good enough for her. He thought that if he told her how he felt about her then she would reject him. He knew that she was too nice to be mean to him but he feared that she would wish not to hurt his feelings, there for would avoid him. He had her friendship and, though he wished for more, he just couldn't bring himself to damage the relationship they already had; the relationship that he already relied upon.

On this day the sweet Princess entered Sam's restaurant and just like always he prepared her favorite meal and drink. He joined her for lunch and together they talked they laughed with each other. Everything seemed to be so easy for them, they got along splendidly together and the Princess' visits were the highlight of Sam's day. Today however something unexpected happened. A stranger came into the restaurant. Sam didn't notice but the Princess did.

He sat in a booth alone. He was tall, slender, and yet muscular with thick black hair and dark brown eyes. Sam was telling the Princess a funny story when he noticed she was no longer paying attention. He turned in his chair to see what had caught her attention and that's when he saw the dark haired stranger. He was like no one she had ever encountered before, he was absolutely masculine and handsome and just beyond words to her. Sam tried to reclaim her attention but it was useless, and he knew it. In that moment he knew he had just lost his chance with the Princess.

She asked him about the beautiful stranger but Sam knew nothing about him. She didn't realize that she was staring until the stranger smirked. She was embarrassed at her actions and even more so that she was caught staring. She blushed deeply and the beautiful stranger's smirk grew. She told Sam that she had to go and she abruptly stood from the table, almost knocking over the chair. She dashed to the door but the stranger was just as fast. Sam watched as the stranger grabbed the Princess' arm and she spun around like a ballerina and she smiled....

After that moment he watched from afar as his secret love engaged in a stormy and heated relationship with William, the stranger. He hated William. True enough he always had the Princess' ear but she rarely listened to his advice. He even tried telling her his feelings for her but she was upset that he waited so long to tell her in the first place. She was sorry that they wouldn't have a chance but she assured him that they would always remain great friends.

He was doomed to watch as William hurt the sweet Princess over and over again until she was fed up and killed their relationship. She was still too sweet to send him away but she did make it clear that there was no longer a chance for him. William however was pigheaded and he tried every underhanded scheme to get the Princess to go back to him. He even disrespected her enough to try and make her jealous with another woman. When she was out and about visiting the people of the kingdom, William and his...paramour would continuously "accidently" bump into the sweet Princess. She tried to stay strong but on more that one occasion she ducked into his restaurant to get away. When Sam checked on her she would try to hide the tears.

He confronted the hurtful William but all that got was threats for him to stay out of his bid to get his "great love" back. Sam was not a stupid man. He was not scared of William and he really wanted to help the Princess so he thought that he would try to gain her love again. Maybe her breaking up with William was a sign that she should be with him. He tried again, this time more subtly. He wanted her to come to her own conclusion about being with him. He wanted to show her that he would never hurt her the way William did and that he would always be there for her.

One day, when the Princess was due to arrive; a warrior from a distant land came into the restaurant. He had long flowing locks and was as solid a brick wall. Everything about him screamed danger. He wasn't the only one to notice because all the villagers went out of their way to avoid him. They even left the tables closest to him vacant because no one wanted to get too close. For the first time Sam was not happy when the Princess came into his restaurant. For the first time he wished that she would stay away.

That however is not what happened. The sweet Princess did come into the shop and sat at the bar. He talked with her as he made her favorite bubbly drink. He hoped that he could keep her attention until the scary warrior left. He hoped that neither noticed the other. As Sam turned around he saw the smile fall from the Princess' sweet lips as her head snapped around. He looked up to see the dangerous warrior's head snap up also. The Princess and the warrior locked eyes. This seemed familiar and yet vastly different. He reached out to the Princess to try and shake her out of her trance but it was of no use. He didn't understand what kind of magic this was but it was leading his dear friend into a very dangerous place.

This wasn't like the vile William where the Princess turned to run and was caught at the door. No, the warrior was just as trapped as the princess. They were drawn towards each other like moths to a light. He called after her but she didn't even acknowledge him, she just kept moving towards the deadly warrior and he was walking over to her. They met in the middle and he just couldn't understand it. She was so full of love and light, there was no way that she would be able to survive in his violent world. He was so dark and sinister, everything he touched died before him and yet there they were.

Sam saw a kind of shift. Where he thought he had lost her forever before, he could now see that he was woefully wrong. Now, as he watched the Princess and the warrior reach out for one another and touched, this is where he truly lost her. A light surrounded them both. It contained both gold and silver and it encased the unlikely pair. He watched as his friend turned into a fighter and yet retained the light that he had come to love; and the dark warrior was still himself but Sam could now see that the glow of the Princess was rubbing off on him.

It seemed like the world shifted around them and no matter how close Sam came to them, he was no longer able to touch either. Now, here they rest together wrapped so lovingly in each other's arms. He could see that his sweet Princess was no longer the woman that lay so innocently in bed with her mate.

"Oh, Sookie." He whispered as he stepped closer to the bed where Sookie lay. She still looked just as sweet and innocent as the day she first walked into Merlottes to apply for a job. He was instantly taken with her but the age difference between them and the fact that he was her boss didn't seem right to him.

A section of his mind noticed that the high class hotel suite looked like a tornado had swept through it and he wondered what happened. No one outside the room seemed to have been the wiser about any disturbance. He also got the feeling as if he was not alone...but of course he was not alone there were three sleeping vampires and the unrequited love of his life there with him. He moved closer to where Eric and Sookie lay and for the smallest of seconds he was struck with the idea that all his problems would be solved if he would just kill the three vampires where they lay....

But that wouldn't bring her back to him. Hell there was no "back to him" to begin with seeing as how they had never been together. Judging from the changes that he had seen in Sookie, he could guess that if he somehow managed to kill the vampires, Sookie would make sure that he followed them to the afterlife soon after. He couldn't live with knowing that he had caused her that kind of pain.

He stood there at the foot of the bed, looking at the woman he loved laying peacefully in the arms of the man she refused to live without and he knew he had to get past it...if he wanted to keep the friendship they built over the years. _The only way to get past anything is to get everything out in the open_his grandmother used to always tell him as a child. Somehow at the moment it seemed to fit. He had never just sat down and told Sookie all that he felt for her. He made the fact that he liked her known when she started dating Bill, but that was a disaster and, if he was being honest with himself, she was completely justified in being as angry with him as she was when he said it. It wasn't the right time or place, and it was done out of desperation and spite not love. He didn't think that he would be able to make it through this with Sookie awake...he never was before. So he grabbed a sitting chair and pulled it over to her side of the bed.

"I know it's a cop out for me to say this to you while you're asleep." Sam started. "But let's face it. You're never going to be with me, and deep down I know it now. I supposed I always have. You already know that I care about you...more than a friend should but I just couldn't help myself. I know that you should be awake for this but seeing as how you are not going to be running into my arms anytime soon I figure that I can do this the easiest way for me." He sat back in his chair and took a deep breath before he began.

"Sookie, I love you. I always have, every since the first day that you walked into my bar. I have never seen someone so beautiful and sweet. You are everything I could ever want in a woman, you're smart and funny and giving and strong. You make me smile just by walking into a room. You've never judged me and no matter how mad I've made you you've always been there for me. You've never turned your back on anyone, no matter how badly they've treated you before. You are a good person.

"I really do love you, and not just the idea of you Sookie; but the real you. I love how sometimes when you are day dreaming your eyes sparkle and even though you're not talking your face still shows every feeling. I love how when you are thoughtful you get really quiet and your furl your eyebrows a little bit. I love how when you are frustrated and trying to work out a problem your head tilts to the left as you try to work everything out in your head. I love you. You want to take care of everyone. I love how great you are with kids and I wish like hell that I would be able to give them to you. I believe that you will be a wonderful mother and I wish you wouldn't waste that potential with this vampire."

He went on and on, telling her the rhyme to every reason of why he loved her. He talked and talked and talked some more, unaware of his conscious audience that was hiding out in the bathroom. His words struck a cord with none more then Freyja. Briel, who happened to look over to her sister and recognized the look on her face.

_'We do not interfere.'_Briel told her silently to her sister.

Freyja rolled her eyes. '_What do you mean we don't interfere? We are standing in a bathroom impersonating our sister, her mate, his child, and her ex. We are going to impersonate them while they are regenerating. _Of course_ we interfere.'_

The guys looked on but didn't speak; they knew that this was something they wanted to stay far far away from. Though they tried to hide their smirks because they already had a feeling how this would play out.

_'We have a mission; we don't have time for your distractions.'_Briel contended.

_'Oh lighten up, I'm not saying that I am going to drop everything and try to find Sam a mate.'_She mentally huffed as she rolled her eyes at Briel. _'I merely want to keep...an eye out for the poor shifter. I mean listen to him, he has a good heart.'_

_'Are you sure that you are a fighter?'_Briel snapped clearly annoyed.

_'Fighting is what I do; it's not the only thing that I am.'_Freyja replied airily. _'Excuse me for being diverse, but if you have a problem with it then we can always take it up with our Father. I'm sure He'd love to hear what you have to say on the subject.'_

_'Exactly how old are you two?'_ Zeus asked to try and derail them. He knew that if they kept on this path they escalate until their cover was blown.

_'Yeah, you two should act your ages, not your shoe size.'_ Gabe added. He had to remind himself where he was so that he wouldn't laugh out loud when the "ladies" mentally growled at him...angels indeed.

They could say what they want but Freyja had her mind made up, she wasn't sure where or even if she would find a mate for Sam but she thought that the least she could do was try. She put it out of her mind now though because they had more important things to deal with. They all turned back to the door now. Though they were carrying on a conversation with each other they were still listening to Sam's one man show, and by the sound of it, it was winding down.

"I just wish that I had the chance to show you exactly how I felt. I wish that it was in the cards for us, but I know it's not. In any case I am so glad that you've found someone that has made you happy and complete...even if it's not someone that I would have chosen for you. To be honest, I don't even understand how you and Eric can have the relationship that you do. By all laws of nature, you two shouldn't be able to coexist but you do. He should have chewed you up and spit you back out, but you are still here. I don't understand how y'all work but the fact that y'all do is something I can't dispute. Even now, while you lay snuggled in his dead arms, you look more at peace than I have seen you in I don't know how long. You both seem to have made each other better. I really am happy for you...or at least I'm accepting this new situation."

Sam stood up and walked to the side of the bed. He wanted to kiss her but there was no way to do that without actually getting on the bed. As bad as it was for him to be there while Eric and the others are in their daytime slumber, he had a feeling that the new king would not overlook the scent of him on their bed. So instead Sam kissed his hand and touched it to her elbow, which was the closest thing that he could reach.

Sam retreated quickly and after a final look at his lost love, he left the room. Gabe, Zeus, Briel and Freyja all stepped back out of the bathroom; though none of them bothered with the door, they just walked through the wall. In the next moment the triplets had arrived. They knew that they were just getting sent away so that the elders could speak amongst themselves but it didn't irritate them. There was a hierarchy and they knew their place within it. Still, the way things had a tendency to change on earth they didn't believe that it was a bad thing for them to gain knowledge of the entire building. They were being left with a very big responsibility and they would not fail. They touched their right fists and bowed their head in unison awaiting more instructions.

"I think that we should go to the site." Briel said. No one responded they all just looked at her. "Look it's what Sera would do, besides, we can't give the allusion of weakness."

"This is true." Gabe injected. "We need to keep up appearances, especially after last night. It's a delicate situation. We can't let it seem as if there is anything amiss with Sera and Eric. NO one can know that they are in need of such extensive regeneration."

"Yes, that takes care of Sera, but what of Eric?" Zeus asked. "There are too many who knows where they slumber. I don't like it. We need to move them all to another location."

"I agree." Freyja said.

They all discussed a few options until Gabe cleared his throat. Quieting, the others looked to see what he had decided. "Briel will go to the mansion and I will accompany her. I will shift forms so that I can pretend to be her guard. Zeus, you and Freyja move Sera, Eric, Pam, and Bill somewhere you deem safe and you stand guard." He turned to the triplets who still had their heads bowed in respect. "Triplets, you three will assume the position of Eric, Pam and Bill." Gabe waved his hands and two coffins appeared. They were exactly like Pam's and Bill's.

The triplets nodded their heads and then proceeded to turn into Eric, Pam, and Bill. They moved the real coffins to the side and pushed the replicas into place. The two that pretended to be Pam and Bill climbed into their casket but didn't close them. They sat up for further instruction. Triplet-Eric went and stood next to his original counterpart.

Gabe looked from triplet-Eric, to the original Eric, and finally down to himself. He couldn't help the smirk that crossed his face.

"What?" Freyja couldn't help but ask, even though she knew she was baiting him.

"Will the real Eric Northman please stand up?" Gabe said with a laugh. He was instantly met with three pairs of rolling eyes.

"Can we get on with this? Daylight is burning." Zeus said.

"Fine, fine." Gabe conceded. "Okay where ever you take Pam and Bill, stay there and guard them. Triplets, if anyone comes in who is not one of the guards outside capture do not kill. No one has a reason to come in here while Sera is not around. Any question?" No one spoke but everyone nodded their understanding.

The triplet-Pam and triplet-Bill laid back in their coffins and closed the tops. Freyja took her place between Pam and Bill's coffins, placing a hand on both. Without further preamble she promptly disappeared. Zeus summoned a large stainless steel coffin. It had room for two because he knew his sister would not want to be separated from her mate; and after what Gabriel reported earlier, he made sure that it was air friendly for his sister too. He moved to the foot of the bed and placed a hand on both Sera and Eric's legs and began to summon his own strength and force. He pushed it over his sister and brother, using it as the support he needed so that he could lift them as one unit into the steel casket. When he moved them away from the bed, triplet-Eric took the vacant spot left by the real Eric.

With a nod, Zeus disappeared with the massive coffin. Briel and Gabe watched their comrades get into position and then turned to each other. When they faced each other they were no longer Eric and Sera but Sera and Gabe. Only this Gabe had black hair that was cut closely to his head and dark brown, almost black eyes. His skin was chocolate brown and he had a neat goatee. His frame was also slighter and less unassuming. His musculature was less defined though he looked to be in perfect shape. He had the look of someone that toned the muscles he had instead of building new musculature. He was dressed in a sky blue button down shirt with dark wash blue jeans with black boots. He had on an unassuming belt with the mark of Gabriel as the buckle.

They turned to the door before Gabe stopped Briel with a hand on her shoulder. _'Your clothes.'_He thought to her. She looked down and realized she was still wearing a replica of the pajama's that Sera had put on. A white cloud surrounded Briel's entire being for a six seconds before it disappeared. When it did she was left in a white tank top that showed a bit of her midsection when she moved. She had on a light washed jeans with artful rips over the legs and a pair of Timbalands. Her hair was pulled back in a french braid, because the bun that Sera sported all last night looked as if her head should be sore for a month. She didn't wear a belt but she did have on stud earrings that were not a simple ball but the miniature mark of Gabriel they laid gently against her earlobe.

They walked through the door and Alcide and Calvin were got to their feet quickly. "Good morning Sookie." Calvin said and then looked at his watch and smirked. "Or should I say good afternoon?"

B-Sookie _**(A/N: Briel in Sookie form) **_laughed. "Good morning Calvin, Alcide." She responded. "How are y'all this morning?"

Calvin smiled but focused on the stranger behind her that he had never seen before. He wasn't being rude about it, he was just memorizing every aspect of this guy in case it was prudent later. Alcide never greeted her in the first place because his attention went right by her and focused on the stranger.

"Who are you?" Alcide asked looking at Gabe. It didn't escape their notice that four from his pack stood and faced them when they heard his words. She knew that he was trying to sound strong but it didn't take a mind reader to see the jealousy from her sometimes good friend.

B-Sookie rolled her eyes, but could feel all of her volunteer guard go on high alert. "This is my personal guard Shadow." She said. "He will be with me temporarily."

"Where was he last night?" Alcide asked. "How come we've never seen him?"

"Because that's his talent." B-Sookie said. He added a Sera-esk huff at the end of her sentence. "He's meant to be invisible. Eric got him for me because he didn't want me to seem as if I were alone. And if I was alone he _still_didn't want me to actually be alone. Most of the time he's invisible but that just creeps me out." B-Sookie made sure to make a face before she continued. "So last night, when he joined us on our way back here, Shadow and I came to an understanding."

Calvin looked skeptical but intrigued, he trusted Sookie's word. Alcide didn't look convinced in the slightest, he just looked supremely irritated. They both sized up Shadow though Calvin still wasn't being an ass about it; he just made a motion with his hand asking her to continue.

"Well if he promised to be corporeal (she really did miss her words of the day), then I agreed to not be difficult."

At this Calvin actually laughed and looked at Shadow as if he made a bad deal. "I hope you know that there is a difference between Sookie's definition of difficult and the rest of the world's."

B-Sookie huffed in mock indignation. "Thank you very much Calvin Norris, for that enlightening statement." At the sound of his full name, Calvin tried to reign in his chortling and held his hands up in surrender. He knew Sookie had a temper. No matter how many things about her had changed, he was sure that was not one of them.

Shadow smirked at B-Sookie and Calvin's interaction but he was not looking at either of them. His eyes were locked on Alcide who looked like he would burst with fury. B-Sookie saw their staring contest and thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to work on her "Sookie hissy fit". So she put her hands on her hips and glared at Alcide.

"Alcide what the hell is your problem?" She snapped.

He didn't miss a beat in his reply. "Sookie who are you kidding? We all know that you are in no need of protection. We've all seen what you can do; so why don't you just come clean and tell us what fucked up shit Eric has you into?"

B-Sookie had her rant all ready but Calvin intervened before she had a chance. "Have you thought that it's because of what she can do that she might need the protection?" He asked. Alcide just looked at his comrade in frustration and confusion, but he didn't try to answer his question. Unfazed, Calvin continued. "It's not exactly like she can do that out in the open. She is human. How is she supposed to explain superhuman strength? How is she supposed to explain the ability to fly or all that damn silver? If she were to be attacked in the open she would be exposed."

"And you, being a Were, should know the first thing about protecting your own identity." B-Sookie said just because she wanted to say something.

"Actually that won't be a problem for us for much longer." Alcide said sulkily. "Fine Sookie, if you trust him then so do I."

"What do you mean 'that won't be a problem for us for much longer'?" B-Sookie asked raising her eyebrow in question.

"We are revealing ourselves Sookie." Alcide said. He seemed to forget about Shadow and concentrated completely on her. "It's going pretty well for the vampires...for the most part. To be honest with you, a lot of us are just getting really tired of hiding who we are."

"You can't ask me to do the same." She replied. "Call me selfish but I don't want to be in the spot light."

"No! No, I don't mean that." Alcide replied hastily, looking contrite. "I'm just saying that this is what _we _are planning. It's what is right for us."

"When?"

"Soon."

They stood for a few moments, contemplating what this meant to them all.

"I have to go." B-Sookie finally said.

"Where are you going?" Calvin asked.

"I wanted to go back to the mansion to see if there is anything that I could do to help look for survivors."

"They've been working on it all day." Calvin said. He turned on his heel and walked over to the couch and picked up the remote, turning on the television.

There was a weather man was finishing up his report. Surprise, surprise it was going to be hot in the desert, who would have thunk it? They didn't have to wait long for the top story to be repeated.

_"Thank you John for that check into weather. Now back to our top story. W__ealthy businessman and vampire Felipe De Castro seems to have been caught in an explosion at his Las Vegas mansion. Reports started filing in last night around one thirty-five in the morning about suspicious activity in vampire owned establishments. All over Las Vegas vampire owned businesses and businesses that cater to vampires were all mysteriously emptied. Several humans called authorities when they walked into the establishments to find that the doors were left open but there was no one inside. They called authorities with suspicions of foul play. _

_"In the midst of all the calls came reports of explosions. Though he lives several miles away from anyone the explosions were easy to pinpoint in the direction of Mr. Felipe De Castro's compound. At this point we are not sure of exactly how many explosions there were but when authorities arrived the outer security gates were found in tatters. They advanced to find the De Castro mansion partially demolished. It's not known how extensive the damage is but there seems to be many who were caught in the blasts. So far twenty three people have been pulled from the rubble; eight vampires and fifteen humans. The recovery is still ongoing. Bill Maddax is on the scene, Bill?"_

The picture cut to an older grey haired man standing behind what looked like a road block with the decimated mansion still smoking in the background.

_"Thank you Carla. I am right now behind the barrier created at the De Castro mansion where they are still pulling survivors from the rubble. The emergency workers have been tight lipped about what they have seen as they excavate this site but from what we can gather there seemed to be some kind of altercation. An emergency worker who wishes to remain nameless gave us an unofficial statement saying that there were several bodies found naked outside with weapons. Some have appeared to be mauled and others were missing body parts. No one is saying exactly what happened last night but it seems to have been a major occurrence."_

The screen split between the anchor woman, Carla, sitting at the desk and Bill who was on site.

_"So Bill can you tell us if there has been any word on Felipe De Castro?" _Carla asked.

_"Um no there hasn't Carla." _Bill's side of the screen panned out a bit further so that they could see him holding up a thick blanket. _"There have only been eight vampires removed from the rubble so far. Emergency workers are using light tight blankets like this one to cover them so that they can be removed from the wreckage. None, of the vampire's that have been removed have been identified as Felipe De Castro."_

"Thanks Bill." Carla said as she shuffled her papers. _"Beware of the heat and we will be back to you later for another update."_

_"Alright Carla, we will be out here all day to keep you covered."_

The split screen was gone and once again they were left watching Carla. They didn't know if she was moving on or if she had something else to say; but when she went on to other local news Calvin turned the TV off.

"Oh no, what are we going to do?" B-Sookie asked. She was talking out loud to herself but Calvin still answered.

"You need to lay low Sookie. Wait until Eric wakes and then y'all can make a plan on how to proceed."

"No," B-Sookie replied quickly. "I can't just stay here when people are trapped. I have to help. I have to at least try."

"Don't be stupid Sookie." Alcide huffed. "I know you want to help but this is not Rhodes. That place is already crawling with the authorities, and who's to say that they will even let you on site?"

"That may be Alcide but I have to go. I have to try." She didn't wait for their reply, B-Sookie and Shadow moved to the door.

"Then we will go with you." Alcide said.

"You can't." B-Sookie replied as Shadow held the door open. "Eric, Pam, and Bill are still in there, they need your protection. Not to mention King Stan and his group in the other room." Calvin nodded and turned away from her but Alcide looked as if he was going to protest. "Please, there's no one else I trust more to leave them with. We can't just leave them unprotected. Can I trust you Alcide?"

Whatever he expected her to say it wasn't that. She had him, and he knew it. He stiffly nodded his head and with that B-Sookie and Shadow were out the door.

*********************

Complete chaos. Those were the only words to describe the scene that was unfolding before them when they arrived at what used to be Felipe's mansion. There were construction vehicles on site, helping shift the rubble around. There were more emergency workers there than she imagined. She even had a brief thought wondering who was left in the city to take care of emergencies should they happen elsewhere.

They pushed through the throngs of reporters and nosy bystanders that had driven waaaay out of their way just to see the destruction. B-Sookie was weighing her options on what story would get them in the easiest. She summoned an FBI hat and vest and credentials in her hand, Shadow did the same thing next to her. There were so many people that they had to work their way through that no one even noticed. Then again, no one was paying attention to them in the first place.

When they reached the barricade an officer was there to stop them but B-Sookie held up her credentials.

"I'm a specialist; the rest of my team will be here shortly to help out. It's my day off but I was closer." She said as he let them both through the barricade. They tossed their credentials around their neck and donned their vests and hats. "Now if you could point me in the direction of whoever is in charge?" The officer pointed them in the direction of an older man with a receding hair line. His skin looked severely kissed by the sun. He was about six foot even and very stocky. He held a bull horn in his hand as he yelled orders to his men on the site.

B-Sookie and Shadow made a b-line for him and he looked up as they got close.

"The FBI?" He said incredulously as they stopped in front of him. His voice was gruff and very tired. Now that they were close they could both read the weariness on his face, in fact it radiated from every pore of his body. They wondered when was the last time he slept.

"Yes sir. We are specialists in recovery." B-Sookie began with their cover story. She knew that she needed to stay in Sookie's form so that the supes could see her but she was hoping that she could keep from actually saying a name and lying even further than needed. "My last job was at the hotel explosion in Rhodes." She could see the spark of recognition in his eye. "Your mayor requested my help. I was here on vacation but I accepted the job anyway." She regarded Shadow for a moment as if she were calculating in her mind. "This shouldn't take longer than the rest of the day." Shadow shrugged and they both looked back at the man in charge.

"Okay, so what do you need from us?" He asked.

"We need you to pull everyone who is in the field off." Shadow began. "Split them up into four groups, plus a fifth group to remove the bodies."

"And we need you to move that crane over here so we can be above the site." B-Sookie added. "And a bull horn so we can tell you what you are digging up."

He regarded them for a moment before he nodded and turned to the side. "Marcus!" He yelled.

"Yeah?" A young man said. He had dark hair which was mostly hidden underneath his hard hat. He looked to be no older then his late twenties.

"Bring the crane around so that we can perch them in it; and bring everyone back in. We are going to need five groups."

"You got it Jake." Marcus replied running away from them in the direction of the construction vehicles.

"It's been over twelve hours, we don't expect to find many still alive." Jake said as he turned back to B-Sookie and Shadow. "We are expecting this to be more recovery than rescue."

B-Sookie closed her eyes and locked in on all the trapped beings in the rubble still. "No, there are still many holding on. They are just on different levels. You're going to need to get the dump truck and back hoe at the ready. From the structural plans we were emailed, there were several underground levels. There are some that are trapped in pockets down there. We have to work fast."

"What are you?" Jake asked her suspiciously.

"I told you, we are specialists." B-Sookie replied.

Jake was about to respond but Marcus arrived with what looked like five groups of twelve behind him. "We are ready for you." He said as he stopped in front of them.

"Great, this is what's going to happen." B-Sookie began before anyone realized that she still hadn't said her name. "My partner and I will be up in the crane. Four groups will be digging while the fifth will do nothing but removal. There are still people alive but we need to move quickly. Any questions?" No one spoke. "Great, you will be the group that is on strict removal." She pointed to the group furthest to the left. "Be sure to keep the light tight blankets for the vampires."

"Humans first." One worker yelled out and several people nodded their head in agreement. B-Sookie glared at the entire group.

"No, whoever is on top will first be they human or vampire." Shadow said. "Now let's get going, they don't have time to wait."

"Okay, let's get going." Jake said and everyone turned back to the site.

B-Sookie and Shadow walked over to the crane operator, he gave them a walkie talkie so that they could tell him which direction he needs to move the crane. They climbed in and began to work. It wasn't long before they had all four teams out digging. They were all working pretty efficiently, and the fifth group had removed six vampires and four shifters, they were even able to remove three of the maids that hadn't made it out. Of those three two were already dead. They worked for hours, and the emergency workers changed out twice. They were going to need more people.

Hearing her thoughts Shadow pulled a cell phone out of nowhere and dialed Sandy's number. The sun was going down and soon the vampires would be up. He changed his voice to imitate Sookie's. "Sandy, this is Queen Sookie and I am at the mansion right now doing search and rescue. You need to get every available vampire here for extraction."

"Don't forget Dr. Ludwig." B-Sookie said.

"On it." Shadow replied as he began dialing again. She answered on the second ring.

"What is it? I'm not taking on anymore patients." An angry voice answered. Shadow knew it was the doctor.

"Hello doctor." He said in his normal voice. There was a pause on the other end and he smiled knowing that she knew who it was. "I do hope you have time for me. We are at the site where Felipe's mansion exploded digging out survivors. We would like your help in treatment. We would appreciate all the blood you will be able to bring with you."

"Of course." Dr. Ludwig replied in a respectful tone. I am in Louisiana so I will have to pop in."

"Will you need any help?"

"No!" She said almost talking over him. She paused and tried to relax. "I mean, no that's not necessary. I have popped in and out of places further away than just a few states."

"Do you have an ETA?" Shadow asked pleasantly.

"Thirty minutes after sunset, I need time to gather enough blood and other supplies."

"Splendid, thank you very much doctor, we will see you soon." Shadowed replied. She didn't reply, she just hung up the phone.

They concentrated again on their rescue effort when a stray thought popped into their head. _The humans are being transported to the hospital, but where are the vampires going?_

Shadow took the walkie from B-Sookie and called for Jake.

"Yeah, what can I do for you?" Jake answered enthusiastically. The fatigue in his voice had given way to the excitement of success.

"Where are the vampires being transported too?" Shadow asked.

"They are under a canopy over here, we have no where to put them. So we are just making sure that they stay covered."

Shadow and B-Sookie shared a look before Shadow continued speaking. "Listen to me; you need to start moving your people out of here right now. These vampires are injured and when they wake tonight, they will be very very hungry. Any human in the vicinity is going to be in danger. Start evacuating..._now_."

"What about those on the site?" Jake asked, now sounding a little anxious.

"Our crew should be here by sundown, and they will be able to take over. You can remove them at sunset."

"Will do."

They continued their work as the sun trekked through the sky. Some of the weres were losing their hold and they came across a few more dead maids and other human workers, but for the most part they saved more than they lost. The thing is that they got all the bodies out. There were even a few gruesome incidences where the emergency workers came across a severed arm or leg and nothing else. The sun began setting when they were finally able to bring in the back hoe and digging deeper into the rubble. Ambulances were coming and going like clockwork, every time they came back there was someone else to take.

"Everyone who is not on the field has been evacuated." Jakes voice came through the field. What of those you said were further underground?"

"I believe that we have most of them but we will have to rely on my team to get them out."

"How will your team be able to fight off vampires?" Jake asked suddenly.

"My team _are_vampires." B-Sookie replied. Jake didn't respond. Darkness was creeping up quickly as the sun preparing to say goodbye.

Shadow picked up the bull horn. "Everyone, drop your tools and leave. These vampires will be awakening as soon as the sun goes down completely. For your safety, you need to leave right now." Everyone began to get agitated and rushed to leave. "Stay calm, be careful."

The cell phone that Shadow summoned rang, it came up blocked. "Hello?" B-Sookie answered.

"Queen Sookie this is Sandy." The voice reported in a business like manor. "I got your message and I have already sent out an alert for every able bodied vampire to report to the mansion. They should start streaming in shortly."

"Thank you Sandy." She replied.

"No problem, is there anything else that I can do for you?"

"Yes, we need a place for vampires to go so that they can be treated. Dr. Ludwig will be here shortly."

"Dr. Ludwig? The famous doctor to supes?" Sandy asked as taken aback as a vampire could. "I hear she's very hard to get in with."

"True but she's coming for me."

"There's an out building on the property to the south. It's two stories plus a basement but there are no windows in the whole place, though on the inside there are curtains like there are. The outside looks like the windows are real but they are not. This will be a safe place for the injured to go."

"Will do, I will see you upon your arrival."

"Yes my Queen." With that the line disconnected.

The crane operator began to let them down. They walked everyone to their cars where the front lawn used to be. There were still media personnel outside the barricade. They asked them to leave stating the fact that very injured vampires were about to awake and that it would be dangerous for any human to be around. Most took their heed, including the police that were guarding the parameter, but some refused and were left by everyone else. No words that were spoken would sway the stubborn reporters, not even the fact that more vampires were on their way to take over the rescue effort; all that they wanted was a quote. So there were still a few humans left.

By the time B-Sookie and Shadow walked back over to where the exhumed vampires were it was completely dark. Moans began to break out in the quiet night as the injured vampires began to become conscious. They knelt down and began to uncover them. Some were burned severely, many were missing limbs, and others seemed to be crushed. All were in no mood to be moved and wouldn't for quite a while. B-Sookie and Shadow evaluated their injuries as they uncovered them one by one.

The vampires weren't sure what B-Sookie and Shadow were but they knew that they were more than just human. There was an otherness about them that went beyond vampire or shifter or telepath and yet they still couldn't place them. When they were all uncovered and evaluated they decided to go on and get a jump on moving them. B-Sookie leaned over to pick up one vampire that was missing both his legs and one arm but he jumped away from her. Confused she studied him. She dipped into his mind and saw that he thought that she would kill him because he fought on Felipe's side against her.

"Don't worry." She said loud enough for everyone to hear her clearly. "I won't hurt any of you. None of you did anything wrong. You fought valiantly for your king. There is honor in what you did."

"He's dead?" The injured vampire asked. His speech was labored and B-Sookie scanned him again to see that he had a slight indention on the left side of his rib cage. She ran her fingers over the indention lightly and he still winced. He had broken ribs and from the way he was talking he must have had a punctured lung too.

"Yes, Felipe is dead." B-Sookie said honestly.

"And Victor?" He inquired.

"Victor is not dead yet but he is captured." She reported.

"Though knowing the Viking, final death is not far from him." Shadow injected.

"And we are forced to serve a _human_ Queen?" Another asked belligerently.

"No," B-Sookie said looking at the belligerent vamp. "You can heal now and when you are better you can leave the territory. My doctor is on her way to aid in the healing."

"So we go in debt to you." He replied; there was still venom in his voice but he seemed to be too tired to continue to be belligerent.

"It's your choice." B-Sookie responded. "I mean I can always leave you where you are and you can hope that you will heal enough in the night to be able to move yourself for the daytime. Of course without fresh blood it will take you longer to heal. The choice is yours."

"I will serve you my Queen." The vampire with the missing limbs and punctured lung said.

"You do not have to pledge yourself to me. Heal, think about what you really want and then if you feel the same come to my husband and I, then you can pledge yourself." B-Sookie replied.

She didn't wait to see if their discussion would continue because they really didn't have time. B-Sookie and Shadow both picked up the injured vampires one by one and ran them to the secure house that Sandy told them about. There were three floors including the basement so they separated them. Those who were crushed and hurt the most severely internally went to the top floor. The ones that were missing limbs were on the basement. Those that had bad burns were on the main floor.

They were moving the last of the injured when the Las Vegas retinue started trickling in. Sandy was first. By the time B-Sookie and Shadow came back Sandy was already organizing the vampires.

"Vin will work the crane for you. Just tell us where to dig and we will recover whoever is there." She said.

"That's great." B-Sookie said. "Dr. Ludwig should be here at any moment. She is bringing blood with her."

"We've divided the injured up on the three levels. Top is for those that are crushed and hurt the most severely internally, the ground level is for bad burns and the basement is for missing limbs. Once we have everybody excavated we will find a safe haven with security for them to go. For now, we will just have to make do with the house."

"Yes my Queen." Sandy replied bowing her head deferentially. Someone scoffed in the group and Sandy turned to the vampire directly behind her. "Is there a problem Davis?"

"Yes, what makes her the _Queen_?" He hissed.

"The fact that she is married to the new King and he gave her the title. Do you have a problem with King Eric?" Sandy asked and her voice was cold and dangerous.

"I have no problem with the Viking King, it's the _human Queen_ I dispute."

Shadow growled at Davis and took a step forward. Half blocking B-Sookie from Davis's view. He lowered in a crouch, Sandy and several others mimicked Shadow's defensive position. A few, including Davis, crouched into an attack position. Most moved from between the two groups, content just to let it play out.

"Sandy, Shadow move." B-Sookie said as she glared at Davis.

"No my Queen, we cannot allow him to hurt you." Sandy said, not turning around. "It is our duty to protect you."

"I understand Sandy." She replied. "But right now we need to settle this and that can't happen if I'm hiding behind you."

"But you are not hiding-" Sandy began.

"But I am not taking care of this myself." No one moved still. Not Shadow, not Sandy, not any of the other vamps that were crouched in her defense. "Shadow, Sandy." She said more forcefully.

Shadow straightened first, then Sandy, and then everyone else. Davis and his group remained crouched. B-Sookie didn't bat an eye, even as the continued to growl menacingly at her.

"Now Davis, this is the last time I have this conversation with you. Whether you like it or not, I am Queen. This is my kingdom. If you don't like it then you are free to leave my territories. And if you ever, threaten me or what is mine again I will kill you."

"I'd like to see you try." Davis spat.

Sookie smirked. "You first."

This was all the invitation that Davis needed, he launched himself at B-Sookie snarling madly at her. She moved fast, stepping into his attack and kicking her leg straight out. She planted her foot on his chest, being careful of not penetrating his chest. Her knee bent with the momentum of his attack. When her own knee touched her chest she kicked forward and pinned him to the ground with her foot. He clawed and scratched at her leg, destroying her jean pant leg but not her leg.

Everyone seemed to be frozen in shock of what happened to their comrade; almost everyone. Sandy, Shadow, those who prepared to fight on her behalf and most of those who stood off to the side didn't seem the least bit surprised at all; bit almost eager. She knew that some of them weren't at the battle last night but clearly they heard about it.

She grabbed his left arm that was trying to find purchase above her knee. "You must be a few rocks short of a pile if you think you could kill me!" She grabbed on with both hands and jerked. She felt as his arm bone pop out of his socket and the tissue in his shoulder strain and tear. Davis's scream echoed throughout the desert as his still attached arm gripped the shoulder where his other arm used to be.

B-Sookie wasn't done. She wanted to make sure that this would never happen again when Sookie was back in place. She knew that her sister would defend herself if pushed but it would be better for everyone if she was never pushed. So she smacked Davis in the mouth with his own arm. Several of his teeth flew out to the side. Three of Davis's cohorts launched themselves at her with blood chilling roars. Sandy was about to jump in but there was no need. Three silver bolts shot from B-Sookie and struck them square in the chest and dropping them to the ground immediately. They didn't disintegrate though, no, like Felipe they writhed in pain with blood curdling screams.

B-Sookie didn't relent. She kept letting her silver bolts crawl over their skin, causing them pain they'd never felt before in their existence. Her eyes glowed bright silver and the same silver currents that ran over her attackers skin was running over her own. She turned her attention back to Davis and smacked him in the mouth again hard, knocking even more teeth out. She hit him over and over again, stopping only when she heard his jaw unhinge.

"Now," She began looking at the vampires that stood back watching her with fear and awe. "Is there anyone else who wants to dispute my claim?" No one stepped forward. "We have a job to do and this is wasting our time. We should be digging, not discussing the validity of my claim as Queen; but if any of you would want to discuss it..." She smacked Davis in the eye with his flaking arm. "Now is the only time I will hear it in an informal setting." No one said anything and she noted new vampires had arrived and were watching the situation avidly. "Good, now let's get to work." She removed her foot from Davis's chest and pointed to a random vampire. "You take Davis to the safe house do you know where it is?" He nodded and picked Davis up and disappeared in the direction of the safe house.

"My, my Miss Stackhouse, things certainly have changed." A disembodied voice said. The crowd of the undead parted and there stood Dr. Ludwig in all her short glory. Behind her were several crates of coolers that she took to be the blood the doctor was gathering to bring with her.

"Good to see you doctor." B-Sookie said as she turned to face her. Dr. Ludwig knew at once that this was not the Sookie Stackhouse that she had treated all those times before. "But that's Sookie Northman now."

"I see." She responded. She quickly averted her eyes from the glowing silver ones that stared at her to the vampires that were still crying out and writhing in agony on the ground. "Are you going to keep going until they are dust?"

B-Sookie jerked her head back to her forgotten attackers and at once the silver lightening stopped crawling over their skin. They continued to cry out for a few moments longer but then that too quit. They just lay there unable to move one the ground.

"They may be out of commission for a few hours, someone take them to the safe house but leave them outside. The inside is for those we dig up."

"I will take them." Dr. Ludwig said and then snapped her fingers. The vampires disappeared from the ground and reappeared on top of her crates of blood. "Which way?"

"Few miles that way." Shadow said pointing south. Dr. Ludwig left without another word. Being so close to the angels made her a little antsy and she couldn't wait to be out of their presence. She didn't know where the real Sookie was but she sure as hell knew her place well enough to know not to ask the higher beings.

"Let's go." B-Sookie said. She noticed that the others still seemed a bit edgy, maybe she took it too far with Davis...it took a lot to make vampires edgy.

"Uh, are your eyes going to stay like that?" Sandy murmured as they moved with the others to the site.

"Oh, I forgot about them." She closed her eyes and then opened them again. She looked back at Sandy and saw her relax slightly. Her eyes were back to normal.

They went back to work. Shadow and B-Sookie climbed back into the crane. With the super strength of the vampires they didn't need the back hoe; they didn't even need B-Sookie and Shadow up in the crane. Vampire's sensitive senses made them more accurate with their digging and recovery. They moved faster and it rarely took two of them to shift the heaviest parts of the disintegrated mansion.

They kept digging themselves deeper and deeper into the earth, freeing more and more ravenous and severely injured vampires. They only uncovered one more human, a man, and because she didn't trust anyone else to do it B-Sookie had Sandy carry him to the hospital. By the time she got back they had uncovered a cluster of twelve were's and nine of the twelve were still alive. Shadow loaded them all onto the bed of two pickups driven by the vamps. They dispatched Sandy and one other that she trusted to drive them to the hospital.

"I sense no one else." A vampire called out. There were several cries of the same. B-Sookie closed her eyes and scanned the surrounding area and she too knew that there was no one left.

They all climbed out of the chasm and then crawled over the rubble that was thrown from the abyss. There was stone and concrete and rebar everywhere. They all came out covered in dirt. They moved the last of the injured to the safe house. It gave B-Sookie a quick thrill that none of the present vampires departed. They just stood around, some looking at her some not, waiting for her next order. She knew that Sera would probably have to prove herself a few more times before word spread completely about her strength and ability, because there would always be nonbelievers, but hopefully her little display would save Sera the worst of it...she hoped.

"Okay Sandy," B-Sookie began as she tried to brush some of the dust off of her. "I need you and five others to come with me to the safe house. Everyone else is dismissed."

Sandy pointed out five vampires and the others disappeared with extreme haste. B-Sookie knew that if she were human she wouldn't have seen them depart, they would have been there one moment and the other they would be gone. Speaking of humans...where were the camera crews that stubbornly refused to leave? Had they seen her fight?

Sandy laughed when she asked this question. "Well apparently when some of the guys arrived they saw the camera crew, and you know how vampires like their privacy...." She trailed off but the look on B-Sookie's face made it clear that she should continue. "They weren't hurt, they were just...persuaded to leave."

"They were glamoured." She stated. Sandy nodded. "Good." And with that she turned and ran to the safe house, leaving everyone else to trail behind in her wake.

Within moments they were at the door of the safe house and she noticed that there were no stunned vampires laid outside. It was explained as they opened the door. What furniture that was there was now gone and the room was filled with cots with just enough room for a person to stand between them. The vampires that attacked her were now inside with bags of blood in their hands, helping those who couldn't do it themselves to drink. The stench of blood wafted heavily through the home.

"Spread out in the house and help with their feedings." B-Sookie ordered. "Obey Dr. Ludwig. Sandy, Shadow, come with me." They broke up and the five vamps split between the basement and ground floor, one even followed them up the stairs to the second story.

This is where they found Dr. Ludwig setting braces on the crushed limbs of the vampires so that it would be easier for them to heal.

"Doctor I've brought you some help and I see that you have put those who attacked me to good use." She said.

"Yes, yes, they were doing no one any good outside as they were." Dr. Ludwig responded absently.

"Well between them and the ones I brought you have eight hands to help you with whatever you need." B-Sookie said. She watched as Shadow walked over and grabbed a brace from the dresser on the wall next to the door and began setting a crushed leg. He knew that the limbs would heal correctly but it would go faster if the crushed bone fragments were given the stability and correct positioning of a brace.

Sandy took B-Sookie's and Shadow's lead and she too began to brace legs and arms, just like Dr. Ludwig was doing. Sandy noticed the oddest thing though. Dr. Ludwig was curiously staying far away from Sookie and her guard. Hadn't Sookie said that Dr. Ludwig was her doctor? So why would her own doctor be afraid of her patient? Did the doctor know of Sookie's gifts? She didn't think that was it because the doctor had a great reputation and was therefore surrounded by powerful beings. There was something more to this situation; something she was missing.

"What do you need of us now doctor?" B-Sookie asked when they'd set the limbs that they could. She walked towards the doctor but stopped when she felt the fear and uneasiness rolling off of her. "Doctor?" She asked again when the doctor didn't answer her the first time.

Dr. Ludwig gave herself a mental shake and looked at the fake Sookie. To her perfect and practiced eyes she could see easily that this was not the sweet and brave telepath she had come to know. She wasn't sure why no one else could see it but if she and her "guard" were who she believed them to be then she knew why; because they didn't want anyone else to see it. "We will need to get them fed to help with their healing." She finally replied.

"Okay." B-Sookie replied and she and Shadow turned to the door to retrieve the needed blood; but before they could get through the door Dr. Ludwig stopped them.

"No, you needn't worry yourselves." She said. "Just send up a few of those helpers you brought me and we will manage. You must be swamped with more important things. You can leave the healing to me, it's what I do."

B-Sookie was about to insists when she felt the mental nudge of Shadow and she stopped herself. "If that's what you wish doctor." She conceded. "Come Sandy, we have business to tend to." The three of them descended the stairs.

When they reached the bottom Shadow pointed to two of the four vampires and sent them upstairs to Dr. Ludwig and the one helping vampires; they all had their arms full of blood when they disappeared up the stairs. Sandy, anticipating their departure, started for the front door but B-Sookie stopped her.

"I want to see someone before we leave." She told her. Sandy nodded and brought up the rear as they descended to the basement. There were three vampires helping the injured feed and hand handing out bags of blood to those that could feed themselves. B-Sookie took one of the bags of blood from a pile on the floor and she looked around for the vampire she wanted. Bingo; he was leaning in the corner on the floor, next to an empty cot that he could not occupy.

B-Sookie approached and stood in front of Davis. She knelt down and picked him up bridal style, ignoring it when he cringed away from her. Without a word she laid him on the empty cot and then sat next to him. She waited until he finally looked at him and then she held his cold gaze. She put the bag of blood to her mouth and ripped the corner open with her teeth. She offered it to him, but he didn't take it. She dipped into his mind to see that he thought she was just patronizing him and that if he reached out for it she would pull it away and have a laugh at his expense. B-Sookie rolled her eyes and pressed the opening to his lips and then squeezed the bag so that the blood squirt into his mouth. He latched on and drained the bag. When she was done she dropped the empty bag to the floor and held her hand out. Shadow placed another full bag of blood in her hand. Like the last one she tore this bag too with her teeth and fed it to the vampire she injured.

She could feel the eyes of the other vampires on her and her actions but she ignored them. When the second bag was emptied she dropped it and held her hand out for a third bag. She fed him the third bag and followed it with a fourth before she spoke to him. "You will have to present yourself to the king for your transgression. If I were you I would use this time that you are healing to figure out what you are going to say in your defense. Make it good. Make it smart. Don't draw it out, and if you have something to offer of importance then this is the time you will need to pull it out. Be careful of the words you choose because he has a very short temper. If he asks you a question answer swiftly. Show as much remorse as you can without getting theatrical. The King hates theatrics. He's a straight to the point type of guy. I'm not saying that these things will save you, but they will give you the best chance of survival. I know my husband. Relax now, and try to rest yourself. You will need all your wits about you when you present yourself to the King." She stood up when a distinct thought traveled unwittingly from his head to hers. "Whatever you do, don't run." She warned. "If you do then Shadow will be sent after you and when you are retrieved, make no mistake that you will be retrieved, the Viking will make you pray to meet the sun or for a stake through the heart. There's nowhere on this earth you can hide. There is no dimension you can travel to escape Shadow. Running is an automatic death sentence."

With that she stood from the bed and walked back to the basement stairs. She opened herself to the thoughts of the vampires around her and it had the effect she was hoping for. It made them all respect and fear the new King, and made them hold her in higher regard. For her to tell her attacker the best way to escape death when he just tried to kill her earlier the same night was beyond belief. A few thought that was stupid because if he did indeed escape death, which they thought was doubtful, then he would be alive to try to take her life again. Then again, he'd owed her doubly; first for sparing his life and giving him the healing after he attacked her, secondly for telling him what they all thought was his surest way to survive. He would owe her his very existence.

With those words she unconsciously declared the dominant one in their rule. By defending herself she showed that she was strong, but by implying that Eric's decision was final she asserted that he was the alpha and that he was to be feared; she was the heartfelt one and she should be revered.

They left the basement and Sandy followed them back to their hotel. The strip was in full swing. B-Sookie and Shadow's eyes were both alight with a childlike sense of wonder as they turned this way and that to see everything that was lit up in bright lights. They finally pulled to the front door of their hotel and Sandy pulled in behind them. The valet gave them tickets before they drove their cars away. Sandy followed them up to their room. B-Sookie opened the suite door with her key and stepped in to find Stan sitting with Joseph talking calmly. Alcide and Calvin had both taken positions on either side of the door leading to her room, where she was guessing triplet-Eric, triplet-Pam, and triplet-Bill were still laying in slumber.

They didn't even get the door closed before Alcide began speaking. "Sookie I'm so glad you're back!" He said looking relieved at the sight of her. Then he looked a bit irritated. "Why on earth would you leave your cell phone here? What if something bad happened how were we supposed to get in touch with you?"

B-Sookie pulled her summoned cell from out of her pocket to see it covered in dust too but working. It wasn't Sookie's phone though. "Sorry, I guess I grabbed the wrong one." She said.

"Normally I would ask why the three of you looked like y'all fought the dust but the dust won, but we have more pressing matters." Calvin stated.

"Like the fact that Eric, Pam, and Bill have not risen for the night." Alcide finished for him.

"Relax, they are just regenerating from last night." She said.

"Even if that were true Sookie, they should still be conscious." Stan said as he turned his head away from Joseph to look at her. "They are vampire and even the most severe wounds wouldn't keep them from being conscious at night."

"And trust me when I say that we tried to wake them." Alcide said.

B-Sookie's eyes flashed and everyone stopped talking as they saw her eyes glow silver. "Who entered my husband's day chamber?" She asked. No one replied, they knew that they were treading on thin ice. Shadow grabbed her hand to bring her back to herself. She calmed enough that her eyes went back to normal.

"These are your friends Sookie. They mean Eric no harm." He said quietly, but every supe in the suit heard him.

"Sorry." She said more calmly.

"Eric is still trying to teach her control of her new abilities." He explained to the room, that was still watching B-Sookie dubiously. He smirked. "She has apparently taken on Eric's short fuse."

"Really guys I am sorry. I wouldn't hurt any of you, please know that." She said as she made eye contact with Stan, Calvin, and Alcide. They each nodded to her. "I am connected to Eric and I can wake him, but I will let Pam and Bill both sleep. They need this time to regenerate."

Without waiting for anyone to reply B-Sookie and Shadow walked into Sera and Eric's master bedroom and closed and locked the door behind them. Shadow walked over to the bed and placed his hand on triplet-Eric's foot. He opened his eyes immediately and stood next to his commander. Because she couldn't yell it with all the supes on the other side of the door, B-Sookie called to Zeus in her mind. Zeus stood before her in the next second. They communicated silently.

_'My brother, we need you to trade place with triplet Eric.'_Briel said. _'Change into Shadow so that Gabe can change into Eric.'_

_'Okay.'_ Zeus quickly agreed. He silently communicated to triplet-Eric where he was to stand guard. When the triplet departed Zeus walked over to where Gabe still stood as Shadow and walked around him slowly, taking in every aspect of his being so that no one would be the wiser to him.

When Zeus assumed Shadow's identity, Gabe shifted into Eric. _'You two go back out there. Tell them that I am taking a shower and I will be out shortly.' _G-Eric said. Both B-Sookie and the new Shadow nodded and walked back into the living room while G-Eric started the shower.

"He will be out in a minute; he's taking a shower first." B-Sookie told the room. She took a seat in the loveseat, taking the spot closest to Stan's left who was still sitting on the couch next to Joseph. Alcide and Calvin remained on either side of the bedroom door while members of their packs moved about in side.

B-Sookie noticed that Sandy was still standing by the front door. She motioned for Sandy to take to armchair opposite her. Shadow stood directly behind her and she noticed that two of Stan's security took similar positions behind him and Joseph.

"We have a lot to get to." B-Sookie stated.

"Indeed we do," Stan interrupted. "Like what we do about my telepath."

"Right." She replied and then quickly moved on. "And we also have some instruction for you as to our new kingdoms Sandy."

"I will do whatever is needed." Sandy replied. She pulled a yellow legal pad from the side of her chair along with a pen.

"First thing-" There was a knock on the door and she wasn't able to tell anyone what the first thing was.

Alcide motioned to one of his men to the door. G-Eric walked out the bedroom wearing a tank top with a pair of black jeans, and his hair was left loose in damp golden tendrils. It only reminded Sookie how dirty she was and she got up from the love seat as she heard the guard were inquire into the identity of the visitor.

"Since Eric is out here I think I will get cleaned up." B-Sookie stated to the room as a whole. "Sandy I think that either Pam or I have something that you can wear if you would like to take a shower?"

"Thank you, I would like that very much Queen Northman." Sandy replied with a dignified bow of her head.

"I told you that you should have showered with me lover." G-Eric purred as she passed him.

"And like I said we would have neglected our guests until it was time for the sun to come up if I would have joined you."

"Touche." G-Eric replied. He sat on the far end of the loveseat, leaving her place opened. "Shadow, feel free to go clean up yourself."

"That is unnecessary sire." Shadow replied. In the next second he burst into a puff of black smoke that swirled in place. All conversations stopped to watch him. G-Eric rolled his eyes. A few seconds later he became materialized again looking good as new. His sky blue button down, his jeans and his black boots were all returned to their pristine pre-body diving condition.

"Show off." G-Eric muttered.

"Of course sire, that is why we get along." Shadow replied. The edges of his lips twitched with as much of a smile as he was capable of.

"Were, who is our guest?" Eric asked and everyone turned their attention back to the door.

The Were stepped back to reveal a short man, no taller that about 5'5" or 5'6" with a very slight frame. He had black hair that was meticulously styled in a fifties do. He wore a black suit with a crisp white dress shirt and a black and white pinstripe tie. He was clean shaven and he had a slightly nervous expression on his face.

"Yes sir, my name is Charles Ryan. I am looking for Mr. and Mrs. Eric Northman." He said as he seemed to gain confidence in his words. The words he was about to speak once he found his subjects would be a speech that he has spoken many times before.

"I am Eric Northman." G-Eric spoke. "Why are you here?"

"King Northman." Charles said as he bowed low in a practiced way. "I have a proposition for you and your retinue."

TBC

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A/N: I hope that you liked my chapter. I would love to hear what yall thought so please REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. Thanks


	27. Chapter 27

"King Northman is it?" G-Eric said raising an eyebrow in question. "And what possesses you to use such a term?"

Charles's mind was racing but he'd been dealing with vampires long enough that he knew to keep his answers straight and to the point. "We pay well to be kept well informed."

"Say what you have to say." G-Eric said. "This had better be good."

"Yes sir." Charles gave himself a mental shake before he began. "As I said I am Charles Ryan. I am the specialized trustee at the Mirage hotel."

"Which one is that?" B-Sookie said as she walked back out in a black camisole and acid wash jeans. She took her place next to G-Eric. Sandy walked out behind her to retake her vacant chair studying Charles's face as if to place him.

"That, my dear, is the one with the great volcano out front." Charles answered her with a suave smile. This definitely was not his first rodeo. "I am here to ask an audience with the new Nevada King and Queen so that I might convince you to move your Las Vegas offices to our establishment, especially in light of what has happened with the previous king's mansion."

Charles looked on and watched as the new vampire royalty regarded each other. If he didn't know any better he would think that they were able to communicate with each other without speaking. He really needs this account. If he could get the King and Queen to move then just that simple fact would keep their hotel and casino packed by the supernatural world for just the off chance they may encounter them. To be honest they had been making some major renovations and if they accepted then they would be able to inject their taste into the work. Just thinking of the silent construction that was taking place on the new regents behalf was mind boggling and he hoped that it was enough.

Mr. and Mrs. Northman still weren't speaking and Charles began to get nervous. He needed to sweeten the pot for them, so he spoke quickly. "If you would like, I can arrange to have you and your party moved over to our tower suites or our penthouse suites. That way you can see the type of establishment we have, and also you'd be moved into rooms that were fit for royalty." He paused and looked around the sitting room with obvious distaste. "When you are settled and ready I can arrange to have you shown everything that we are prepared to offer. You can see it first hand, the plans and current construction and then you can decide."

"Fine, we will take you up on your offer." G-Eric replied, and then looked to Stan. "Are you willing to move with us?"

"Yes." He replied uninterestedly.

"Fine, my group will take your tower suites and Stan and his retinue will take the penthouse. We will move tonight if there are no objections."

"None, sir." Charles replied with a deep bow. I will have cars and movers sent over immediately for your things, so you needn't worry about them. If you'll excuse me?"

G-Eric waved his hand and Charles disappeared in the next moment.

"Sandy, let it be known that the Mirage is the temporary Las Vegas headquarters until I've made my final decision. Check in with Charles and tell him all that you need to make it happen, tonight. If he can't meet our needs then let me know and we will make other arrangements. I know that there are a lot of things that needs to be tended to but I want you to put everything off for the next three nights. No meetings, no appearances, nothing. I will deal with emergency situations but other than that reschedule everything else. Have I made myself clear?"

"Yes sire." Sandy promptly responded. "I've also already began transferring all of Felipe's assets over to your name. Some of it will require your signature but I will get a complete list over to you, including things that may need to be signed over to you within three days. I've already began setting up a temporary moving base for you to operate out of, so moving it to the Mirage shouldn't be any problem."

"Good." Sandy was about to get up but he stopped her. "Keep your seat; we have a few questions for you." Sandy nodded and retook her seat. "What do you know of the disappearance of Barry Bellboy?" Eric asked.

"Nothing sire." Sandy said. "He and his cohorts checked in with me when they first crossed into our territory but I haven't heard anything else from them. Later on I received a call from Texas saying that they had not checked in and were not answering any of their phones. Naturally I informed Felipe of the situation. I know that Barry is a very valuable asset and so I followed procedure. Felipe ordered the search, which I headed, but not before I was pulled aside. Felipe gave me direct orders that if I ever found Barry or anyone that had been traveling with him from Texas then I was to detain them and bring them through the tunnels back to the mansion. That however was unnecessary because we never came across any of them. We've searched all of Las Vegas but there was nothing."

"Why did Felipe want you to bring them back in secret?" Stan asked.

"He thought that this was another opportunity for him, like the one that presented itself in Louisiana. He wanted to use the disappearance of Barry to lure you into a trap here in Vegas."

"He told you this?"

"I helped him plan it." Sandy said.

Stan jumped to his feet and his guards did the same, but before anyone could make a move Eric's voice filled the room. "Sit down, Stan." G-Eric said in a booming voice. "Sandy was bound to obey, and she will not be punished. She has given great evidence against Felipe."

Stan's eyes were blazing but he slowly sat back down. His guards, though they backed away, stayed at the ready just in case.

"Continue Sandy." G-Eric ordered.

"I had no choice in the matter and Felipe's wishes were my commands so when he expressed his desire, I did what I do best. I helped him plan out the entire thing. We had it completely worked out and then I went and headed the search. As you already know, we've never found Barry. When we visited their hotel rooms there were no scents."

"No scents that you recognized you mean?" B-Sookie asked.

"No, I mean there were no scents there period." Sandy continued. "Not even scents that should've been there like previous occupants, the maid service, or even Barry and his guards when they first entered the rooms. The rooms were all a blank canvas."

"When Felipe spoke to you about plans to lure me here, was it the first time that he had said anything about this?" Stan asked.

"To me? Yes, but when we did speak about it he said that he had already gotten Victor's thoughts on the matter. He said that Victor was very enthusiastic. I know where this is going King, Victor would not act without Felipe's permission. And Felipe would not give permission without putting his state on high alert. He was very jealous of things that belonged to him."

"But you cannot be sure?"

"No, but it is my insightful opinion of Felipe that he would not."

Stan looked to be in deep thought too. "Northman, I would like to interrogate Victor while he is still alive."

"This is acceptable as long as he remains alive after you speak with him." G-Eric conceded.

Stan smirked as he got to his feet. "I will see what I can do about that."

"See that you do. There. Will. Be. No. Accidents Stan." B-Sookie didn't have to look at her counterpart to know that his eyes were blazing gold. Stan's jaw tightened but then gave a jerky nod before he departed.

"Sandy, call the guards and make sure that they know my orders. I do not want anything to spoil the plans I have for Victor."

"Yes sire."

"You are dismissed. Let me know when everything is in place."

"Yes sire." Sandy repeated. "Is the Queen's cell okay or do you have another you would prefer?"

"The Queen's cell is just fine."

Sandy bowed deeply and disappeared out of the door. Alcide and Calvin, who had just been observing moved forward and sat on the couch that Stan and his guards had vacated.

"When do you need to leave?" G-Eric asked once they were seated.

"Actually, as soon as we can be spared. We both have jobs that we need to get back to." Alcide said.

"That is acceptable." G-Eric replied. "I would like you to oversee the move from here to the Mirage. Please check out the suites to make sure that they are safe. After that you can take your leave. I will even charter a plane for you and your packs."

"That is most kind Eric." Calvin said. "We would really appreciate that."

"It's not a problem; we appreciate all that you have done for us here in Las Vegas. If there is ever any way for me to repay your kindness let us know." G-Eric said solemnly. They all knew that the last thing Eric would ever want was to be indebted to were's but they also know that it was due and that Eric was a man of his word.

"Thanks." Calvin replied. "What would you like for us to do with Pam and Bill? We can't leave them unprotected."

"You're right, but you don't have to worry about it. We will wake them." G-Eric said. "I think a night out on the town would do a world of good for us all."

They both nodded to Eric and Sookie before turning to each other to figure out how to do what. After a short debate they decided that Calvin would take his men on over to the Mirage and check out the suites, dividing his pack between the rooms. When he deemed the rooms to be clean he would contact Alcide, who would then oversee the move from this end. It didn't take them long to work out the finer details and soon Calvin and his crew were gone. Alcide and his people began moving about the suite gathering the things of Stan's group and getting them ready to leave.

"Come Lover," G-Eric said as he got to his feet. He held his hand out for his other half, who gladly took it. "Let's wake Bill and Pam so that we can all change and get out of here."

"This is going to be fun." B-Sookie replied as she let G-Eric pull her into the room. As she closed the door, she caught the sad gaze of Alcide; though she was sure she wasn't meant to.

***********************

_UNKNOWN LOCATION_

They were surrounded in peace as they lay wrapped in the arms of the one they loved most. Eric was the first to open his eyes to find that he was no longer in the bed he fell asleep in, nor was he in a hotel room. He made sure to stay still so that he wouldn't alert Sookie to their situation. He opened his mind and reached out, trying to see what or who was around. It was silence.

He would usually be on red alert but couldn't manage it with the persistent peace that enveloped his every sense. He took another moment and studied his surroundings. He was in a coffin, but not his. This one seemed to be special. It was the size of two normal coffins put together and yet there was no inside latch or any visible means to open it. There weren't even seams to indicate which way it opened.

He looked down at Sookie's face and saw that she was still sleeping peacefully. So much has happened and she's endured it all with a straight back and her head held high. He hadn't noticed how much stress seemed to have accumulated on her face until now, when she was so relaxed and at peace. He would make it better for her. He is her mate and it is his duty to care for her. It's something that he willingly takes on, when he looks at her like this he is reminded that she is no angel, she is no powerful creature, and she is not a pillar for the masses or a warrior. No, when he looks at her like this she's just the child that fell in love with a thousand year old monster. She was innocent and pure and too good for the world that she was dragged into. Was she perfect? No, but she is perfect for him. They balance each other.

Sookie inhaled deeply and shifted closer to him in his arms. She buried her face in his neck and breathed in deeply again. This was good. This was right. After a millennium of fighting and killing and plotting and planning and surviving by any means possible, he's found his niche...which just happened to be lying in his arms. He tightened his arms around his bonded and she moaned contentedly. He had to figure out where they were.

The peace that surrounded him seemed familiar. He'd bet all the money he'd gathered over his life time that they were no longer on earth, which meant one thing.

_'Michael!'_ He called out in his mind. No answer. _'Michael!' _

A screen opened on the top of their casket. Eric recognized it immediately because it was just like the one that they used for Pam-vision when he and Sookie were still in the dream realm. This time however, it was not Pam that he saw, nor was it Michael.

"Hello devoted one." Freyja said with an easy smile. "What can I do for you my brother?"

It took Eric a moment to find his voice. After all that he'd experience it was still hard to think of Freyja as an angel instead of a goddess. "Where are we?" He asked respectfully. "Where is Michael?"

"Michael was unable to come to you so I volunteered." Freyja replied. "And you are in a secure and healing place."

Eric nodded as he thought about what he wanted to know now that he had someone who was most likely aware of what was going on in his new territories. "I know that we needed to rest but I think that we should get back. The kingdom won't survive our absence no matter how short it is. Can you tell me what is happening?"

"No worries my brother. Gabriel has taken both of your places. He has handled the search and rescue of survivors at Felipe's demolished mansion. Dr. Ludwig is caring for the injured. Briel did have a brief run in with a few of your subjects but that was handled. You will be briefed on it upon your return. Gabriel has had all presentation and meetings pushed back three nights and will only handle emergency situations; everything else will be waiting for you and Sera. I believe that you are also being moved to the Mirage hotel as apart of an upgrade due to your new stature."

"Three days? How long have we been here already?" Eric asked. He tried to gain some semblance of time but it was useless.

"You are on your second night." She replied. "Both Pam and Bill have been put into a regeneration slumber also." He noticed that Freyja stopped speaking though it looked as if she had more to say.

"What are you not telling me?" Eric asked. She didn't answer him, she seemed to study him instead, trying to figure out exactly how much she should say now and how much to leave until later. "Freyja, tell me now." He demanded. Then he remembered who he was speaking to so he added, "Please."

"You were found." She began. "Apparently Sera's tears have an extra side effect for vampires. The sun came up and Pam was still awake. She didn't feel the pull of the sun nor the need to rest. The night you, Sera, and Bill lay down to rest Pam did the same, biding her time until the sun came up so that she would be free to torment the shifters who 'knew' that she and the other vampires would be dead to the world.

"Lilith's second, Dragxin, somehow was able to find you. Pam, still being awake, defended you against him though he could have killed her easily. It is Gabriel's belief that Sera's tears somehow fortified her body to withstand his attack. Gabriel was designated to watch over you since we knew that you wouldn't be able to wake because of your regeneration."

"How?"

"We do not know, but it was decided to put both Bill and Pam in a regeneration state and move their bodies to a secure place, much like the one you are in. Odin and I are taking their places until you reawaken."

"How long have you watched me?" Eric asked rhetorically. "You know that I am not the inactive type. We need to leave; we need to solidify our claim. We need to begin preparations for Lilith. I will not sit on the sideline while others fight my battles."

"You will do as is expected of you." Freyja said forcefully. "You and Sera will not be any good to anyone if you don't have strength to control yourselves. This is the one time that you have to believe that letting yourself regenerate and putting the reigns of your kingdom in our hands is what's best. I know you are not a delegator, you prefer to do things yourself but we will do what's best for you."

"It's not that I don't trust you to do what's best for me." Eric insisted. "It's that it's not your responsibility. I agreed to become King. I agreed to take responsibility of three states. You already have your hands full with Lilith, now on top of it you have to contend with my responsibilities on top of your own. This is not what I agreed to and the sooner you send me back the sooner we can do what we agreed to do in the first place. I will take my rightful place and Sookie and I will fulfill our mission."

"I understand that Eric, but you should understand that you and Sera are our responsibilities. We are not just partners or colleagues, we are family. That means that we pull together when needed. You and Sera needed to regenerate therefore the rest of us pulled together in order to make that happen. We work together, with and for each other. The way that you can help us is by taking the rest of this time to relax and regenerate." Freyja spoke solemnly. "Few things on earth are guaranteed but I can safely say that things for the both of you are going to get much darker, much deadlier, and filled with more suffering that you have ever experienced. You are going to need your bond with Sera to strengthen you so that you can carry your kingdom on your back; Sera is going to need both your bond and you to guide her through the darkness.

"As an angel Sera has seen remarkable and horrific things, but has experienced them without human emotions. She is the best of us and she needs you both to take care of each other. Sera doesn't know how to fail...much like yourself. So stay, not because I won't allow you to leave, but because it's what is best for you and Sera. Finish your regeneration. _That_ is how you can help us. _That_ is how you can contribute."

Eric's mind swirled as he tried to find an indisputable way to get what he wanted, and yet he couldn't. It wasn't that he couldn't come up with anything. It was the fact looking into the smooth features of the woman he once thought of as he patron goddess, it still felt wrong to go against her wishes. So he kept his mouth shut and silently acquiesced to her thinly veiled demand. How could he not?

Frejya knew that she had won. She could see it in his eyes. She knew how he still regarded her highly and she was glad that she was able to use it to her advantage this time. True, she was looking forward to the day when he regarded her as just his sister like Hera or Briel, but a part of her knew that it would never totally be like that. He would always regard her a bit above the others because of the way he ingrained her into his spirit as a deity. All the same, he would have her in a better view as time went by.

She could see the worry that played through his eyes and face as clearly as is he'd spoken them aloud. She didn't know what all the future held for him, but as long as Lilith was out there, it will be very dark. If she could take his place, or Sera's place she would but she knew she couldn't. Sera was chosen for a reason, as was Eric; and in the end it was up to them to decide the direction the magical world went in...whether they knew it or not. More was at stake than what either knew, though by the look in his eyes Eric was starting to suspect....

"I need, to go." Freyja stated. "Gabriel is calling. I will see you when it's time for you to reawaken."

"Then I will see you soon." Eric replied. "I suppose one more night won't kill me."

She couldn't help but share his smirk; she always enjoyed his Eric's sense of humor. "Funny. Until later my brother."

"I look forward to it." He responded, offering her a small smile.

She nodded and gave Eric an easy smile before the screen that she appeared on disappeared.

Eric took a moment to reprocess their conversation. He knew that this was what was best for both him and Sookie. It was amazing that neither of them have had any accidents before now. He's accustomed to having control over his strengths just by being a vampire that interacts with humans. He was truly impressed with Sookie though; yet at the same time he couldn't help but feel that it was a matter of time. Right now she focused on every little thing that she did. He knew that accidents usually happened when you get comfortable and forget to be so careful.

He looked down at the angel in his arms. This time, however, he was not awe struck at how far he'd come or at what they were facing. This time he was overcome by desire for the beautiful strong woman that was in his arms. He stroked her silky locks as he studied her face carefully. Her skin was flawless. Her plump lips were parted slightly in her relaxed state and her even breaths caressed his face. He moved his hand from her hair and began to let his fingers graze the smooth contours of Sookie's face.

Her lips called to him and her body seemed to be aware of his aroused state, even though she was unconscious. Her body curled into his even more and her leg settled over his crotch and her arms tightened around him. A soft moan erupted from her plush pink lips and Eric couldn't help himself anymore. He placed a gentle kiss on her unmoving lips. Her sweet taste swirled in his mouth as he let his tongue gently stroke her bottom lip.

She sighed into his mouth and he knew she was awake. Her mouth granted him entrance and he slowly explored the depths of her mouth with his tongue. Together they still did that unique dance as their tongues swirled seductively together, going back and forth between his mouth and hers. She slid her arms up until her hands tangled themselves in his thick golden locks.

"Eric." She breathed as he rolled her completely onto her back and he hovered above her. Her legs parted for him like the Red Sea and he easily settled himself into their comfort. He couldn't help the low growl that escaped his chest as he could feel the heat from her core permeate through both her and his clothing. Lying with her like this almost felt like home to him.

Sookie reluctantly released her grip on Eric's mane and moved her hands downward. She gripped the black tank that Eric had worn to bed and gave it a firm tug. It ripped so easily in her hands. She would have been so surprised if Eric wasn't creating the most curious sensations that echoed out from his tongue into her mouth and over her entire body. She tried to refocus her mind on her efforts of getting Eric naked. All that she could think about were his sleep pants and before she could realize what she had done, she was already tossing said sleep plants to the side.

Eric was more efficient. He rolled them so that she was now straddling his hips, she ground her hips making the most sensuous sound erupt from his chest. It was a low rumble and it made her feel as if electricity was rolling over her skin. She'd slept in a simple sleep set; a red spaghetti strap shirt and black Fangtasia sleep pants with the emblem and motto written all over them (she couldn't help herself when she past them in the gift shop), and he slipped one of his thumbs under she top and the other into the elastic waist of her pants. Eric kissed her long and hard as he gave her clothes an easy tug and made them disappear from her body.

He wrapped his arms around her small waist, holding her tightly; his fangs extended with the feel of her soft body pressed against his. Feeling Eric's hard length swollen and ready for action Sookie couldn't help but to grind her hips down on his, looking desperately for the friction she needed to relieve the slow ache her husband had ignited.

Unable to take anymore, Sookie sat up...hitting her head on the top of the casket. She wasn't hurt but she was stunned that it was there. She hadn't noticed her new surroundings.

"Where the hell are we?" She asked as she leaned over him with her hands placed flatly on either side of his head.

"Not exactly sure..." Eric tried to begin, but Sookie's hips kept moving over his trying to create friction and it was messing with the part of his brain he used to form sentences. He placed his hands on her hips to hold her body still but she only pressed into his firmly making another groan break through his lips. "We've been moved...all of us...to a safe haven by Gabriel and Freyja...ohhh fuck Sookie you're so wet..."

"Should I be worried right now?" Sookie asked as he lifted her hips from his. She trailed one hand agonizingly slow over his chest, slowly moving downwards. She traced the planes of his chest and abs as every so often she saw a flicker of gold electricity flow over his body. Was she torturing him, making this harder (haha) than it needed to be? Yes. Was she going to stop anytime soon? Not likely.

"No." He moaned as her warm hand finally reached where he wanted her most. She wrapped her hand around his length and guided him to her entrance. "Focus on me." His voice was becoming hoarse as he felt her sweet nectar drip down his shaft. "Only me."

With that he thrust up at the same time as she sat down, and when their hips met again they both let out a throaty moan. Neither could form a word, let alone a sentence. Then again, that's not what their coupling was about as she methodically began to move herself up and down. The swell of Eric's gracious plenty pulsated within her, stretching her as her body accommodated to his delectable intrusion.

Sookie had been with exactly two men before Eric. Bill was well endowed but not nearly as well as Eric. His skill however lied in the knowledge how using what he had to get and give the maximum amount of pleasure. Quinn again was well endowed but he had only one version of sex...animalistic. It was all well and good, but variety was best. Eric surpassed them both in length and girth, so much so that their first time together had stolen the very sound from her lips. No other man has been able to do that...ever.

Eric loved the feeling of being inside of his wife, _his _Sookie. If lying between her legs almost felt like home, being inside her was what home was made of. It had everything that made home the place he wanted to always dwell, it was safe, calming, warm, familiar; and because he felt how her body had to stretch to accommodate his size it always felt like seeing new places. He knew that over time, the elasticity of a woman can wane (having shot plenty of women's elasticity to hell) after repeated stretching but Sookie was just as tight around his length as she was the first time they'd slept together.

Neither of them were in a hurry as they moved together. Their eyes stayed locked on each other as they moved as one to reach their goal. Eric knew that Sookie was close to reaching her orgasm as her moans and mewling grew louder and louder and more breathy. He would usually rub her clit in slow circles to push her on over but he could feel from her that she didn't want the help. She wanted their slow rhythm together to push her over. She knew that he wouldn't be far behind her as Eric's grip on her hips tightened. He removed one hand from her hip and caressed her breast, moving from one to the other. He loved the feeling of her breasts in his hands; it was like they were made specifically for him.

Sookie began to move herself faster on Eric as he kept one hand on her hip guiding her to the rhythm she wanted to play.

"Eric, I love you so much." She breathed. "I-I need you...you are my..." Her words trailed off as Eric shifted his hips, hitting her sweet spot like a bulls eye. She arched her back, driving him deeper with in her and she continued to try and speak but her words were unintelligible. That didn't matter though because her mind was screaming at him in clear coherency. _'Ericericericeric...yessssss...ohmigodohmygod...I love how you feel inside me...so big...yes like that like that...please let it always be like this...FUCK!...ericericericericericeric.'_ After that it became different variations of the same thing. "No one like...FUCK!"

Eric loved hearing the effects that he was having on her. He moved both hands back to her waist as he gritted his teeth. He wanted to come deep inside of her but refused to do so before she came first. He opened up the bond between them and poured all of the love and devotion and adoration he held for her, directly into her heart. Sookie couldn't stand it as her body seized up, seemingly frozen in space and time, it was at this moment that they were no longer Eric and Sookie. They were no longer two beings that worked as one but one being altogether. There was no him and her or them; they were just one entity and that's it. As quick as the moment came it left and she came hard, screaming his name. Her body convulsed around him drawing out his own orgasm with a harsh growl and her name on his lips.

Her body collapsed onto his and together they tried to regulate their breathing. They couldn't really get a grip on themselves because all of their emotions were flying all around them. Eric turned them over, making sure that they stayed connected. He swept the hair that was sticking to her damp skin out of her face and she did the same for him as his long locks created blond curtains on either side of them.

His eyes glowed golden and they bore deeply into her soft silver pools. Gold and silver currents roamed their bodies as their intense feelings for one another bombarded them from outside as well as within. The concentration that pushed in on their bodies was almost as intense as what they shared in their bond.

"I love you Sookie Northman." He said with a gentle kiss.

"I love you too Eric Northman." She replied when he finally freed her mouth. "As long as I have you I can handle whatever else is thrown at us. All I need is you."

"You have me." He replied quickly before repeating their mantra. "I need you to survive."

He kissed her again, hard. The emotions that were floating around them didn't seem to dissipate, but intensified more as a glint appeared in Eric's golden eyes. He pulled almost all the way out of her sweet warmth before driving himself deep within. At first she couldn't move, the strength of his strokes stunned her for a moment but she soon got lost in the pure animalistic, unadulterated passion. Eric's mouth claimed her neck forcefully as he began to lick, nip, and suck every part of her available flesh. He nipped the sensitive spot right behind her ear eliciting a breathy moan from his beloved right before he sucked her lobe into his mouth.

"Eric." She moaned as her body shuddered underneath his causing wonderful things to happen where they were connected. Sookie lifted her hips to meet his powerful thrusts, making sure to grind her hips into his every time he entered her deeply. The currents that roved their skin intensified. They were consumed by their desire for one another while their grunts, moans and the light crackling sound from the gold and silver currents that slipped off their skin created the soundtrack of their copulation.

"Mmm, lover you feel so good wrapped around me." Eric murmured causing another shiver to rip through her body...and then his. Even though they were married, she loved it when he called her 'Lover', it did unspeakable things to her body. He drove into her hard and fast, rotating his hips as he searched for that special spot that was all but tattooed with his name.

"ERIIIIIC!" She cried out when he hit it one, two, three times. He tilted her hips up a bit as he continued to drive into her with absolute determined abandon. He reveled in how she cried out over and over to him. He loved how her legs wrapped around his waist, egging him further into her. He was delighted as all words but his name held no form on her lips as well as in her mind.

Her eyes glowed brightly into his and he knew that it was taking everything in her to keep them open for him. Silver currents played a heavier chorus on her body and he was sure that if he looked at his own body he would find the same thing. Her hair streaked silver until all of her natural golden locks were lost. It flowed around her face and he knew he was seeing the angel she was before she came to earth. This drove him to drive deeper and harder into her. He knew that the force he was using would decimate a human woman's pelvis and shatter a vampire's; but Sookie just continued to yell out to him in the most delightful way and tangled her hands almost painfully in his hair. God he loved this woman; past her own comprehension.

He watched transfixed by the beautiful wonder below him as he watched her ears gained the slight point that proved her fairy heritage. He could see the effects that he had on her as he felt her resolve to make their coupling last as long as possible. He was determined to push her over the edge and she was just as determined not to go. He smiled as she unwittingly produced for him the second thing he loved most in the world...a challenge. Sookie was a great student but he had a thousand years worth of lessons to teach.

His hands were still on her hips holding her gyrating waist at an angle that gave him better access to her depths. Every time their hips connected he made sure to grind his pelvis into hers, harshly rubbing her swollen clitoris. He was impressed with how well she held out as he thrust, almost violently, into her; but he could already feel it. Victory was on the horizon and it smelled oh so sweet. He assured his win as he bit without warning. His lips molded to her breast as his fangs punctured her soft flesh. Her sweet blood rapidly filled his mouth as he heard Sookie scream out as loudly as her body would allow her to. Euphoria crashed all around and through them as her body shook with the force of her orgasm. Her slick walls clamped down hard on his pulsating length as he drove into her one last time before he too was carried over the edge by her raging orgasm.

He could no longer continue sucking her blood as he was compelled to throw his head back and shout. Though they were bonded mind and body, Sookie still couldn't understand his original tongue but she didn't care. She wasn't even compelled to learn because the feelings that were ricocheting all around them told her everything she needed to know. He continued thrusting into her lazily, prolonging their orgasms and sending delightful shudders through them.

He collapsed on top of her and drew a few more times on the wound he created before sealing it with his tongue. They just lay there in each others arms, his head on her breast as he lay between her legs and her arms wrapped tightly around his neck as she stroked his golden locks. They enjoyed the feeling of being connected so neither made a move to break it.

Eric didn't know if he would be able to ever love Sookie more than what he did in that moment. Caught up in her own musings of love for Eric, Sookie didn't know she was about to prove his musings wrong as she uttered the one word he didn't think he would ever hear from her after two intense back to back sessions like they just had.

Sookie used her hands that were already stroking his golden locks to pull his head up so that she could look into his beautiful golden eyes. She had a whole pretty speech prepared but when their eyes locked on one another's, only one word would come out....

"More...."

TBC

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A/N: I will keep this brief because I am in a writing mood and I want to get back to it. Hey everyone I would just like to say thank you for being patient with me and sticking around. I also just wanted to make a few points just in case anyone is curious about it. No Eric and Sookie are not in Heaven, you can tell this because their bond and mental link is still in tact, remember Gabriel told them that when they were in Heaven they had to stand alone. An explanation on where they are will be coming but I wouldn't dwell on it because its not a main character space or setting in this story.

As always feel free to PM me for any questions, I would be happy to explain my reasoning for anything needed. Please review review review, I really love hearing what you guys think. Reviewing is like hot sex in a coffin with King Northman...please don't miss out. Thanks everyone.


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear in any of the Charlaine Harris books all others are mine.

A/N: I just want to thank everyone for their reviews. We are so close to 600 and I am so happy I could do my Snoopy happy dance, but I will spare you. I know that this chapter is short but it's giving you what a lot of people (including me want). So please review review review so we can break 600. Thanks you all for standing with me. Love you all!

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_Back at the Mirage Hotel_

B-Sookie, G-Eric, Shadow, faux Pam and Bill all relaxed back into the lemo. They were trying to avoid meeting each others eyes for fear of losing their hold on their restraint. They all gave a valiant effort but it was a complete loss cause as soon as faux Pam's eyes caught B-Sookie they burst into laughter. Once those two cracked there was no hope for the others and everyone fell out laughing. They laughed and joked and carried on all the way back to the Mirage hotel.

There were cars already in the front of the hotel's doors but they seemed to melt away as the new King and Queen's three car caravan pulled up. Everyone was barely able to regain their composure before the door on G-Eric's side was pulled open by the head of security. G-Eric got out and held out a helping hand to B-Sookie who took it with a smile. They stepped behind three guards and began to walk forward slowly as everyone else got out the car so the rest of the guard could surround them two. Just like before there were three in front of B-Sookie and G-Eric, two on either side, three that separated them from faux-Pam and faux-Bill with two flanking them on either side, and two on flanking both sides of Shadow with three trailing behind him.

Though they were entering in a supposed safe location all of the guard's heads and eyes roamed and turned every way and evaluated every movement and noise. As they entered the lobby the soft murmur instantly quieted and everyone turned to watch them pass. The humans didn't know what was going on or who they were but they watched in awe as this seemingly important group made their way through the lobby. Every vampire bowed deeply at the waist as they passed though none could help sneaking peaks at their new King and his beautiful and talented yet _human_ Queen.

There has been much talk about the new King and Queen though their rule has only been a matter of days. A thousand year old Sheriff somehow able to pull six regents and several pack masters to his side in order to overthrow a king as powerful as Felipe seemed...interesting. Most of them knew of the Viking and of his telepath. They knew that he was well over a thousand, though no one knew exactly how old, and he was very powerful. He's said to have a quick mind in everything and guards what is his viciously. All things considered, he was a fair Sheriff so there was no reason to believe that he wouldn't be a fair King. Still, how could a _Sheriff_ command _six Kings and Queens_? What did he have over them? How was that possible?

Everyone in the United States, and possibly beyond, knew of the Viking's Telepath. She was guarded by many, and not all of them were vampires. She was under the protection of King Felipe, the personal guard of the Viking, several shifter packs, and it was rumored that she even had ties to some of the Fae also. Everyone also knew that she was not all sunshine and daisies. She was notoriously strong willed and difficult. It's rumored from one of King Russell's subordinates that Sookie killed her ex-boyfriend's maker when she found out she kidnapped and tortured him. She had a reputation for not being able to be controlled by anyone other than the Viking...and she even gave _him_ trouble beyond belief.

They watched as she glided elegantly with the new King, her arm twined with his and her head held high and proud. She was more beautiful than the rumors ever gave her credit for. Her hair was long and silky and it seemed to dance in a nonexistent wind. Her neck was graceful and she seemed to move to a beat for which the Viking's steps provided the tempo. Her bosom was supple and her curves didn't seem to suit a person but a statue of Venus because surely no mortal woman could be built in such a...pleasing way. It was easy to see the Vikings obsession with her. Her blue eyes were warm and soft with silver flecks sprinkled through them. Her lips were full, plump, and very luscious. One side was pulled up in a small smile as if she knew a joke no one else was aware of. It made them want to be closer to her; maybe she would tell them her secret....

They all watched as the new King and Queen made their way into the elevator with their guards. When the doors closed every vampire flew to the center of the lobby and began to speak about all they'd noticed about their new rulers and all that they've heard about happening since the take over. There were crazy and wild stories and also stories that seemed to ring true to what they knew about their so called character. She paralyzed vampires painfully without even laying a finger on them. She beat a vampire with his _own_ arm. The King for some reason pushed all business of state off for three nights and one of the first things to come up will be the attackers of his wife. Others have called her his wife, but when were they married? There is no documentation in the human world nor is there any evidence in the supernatural world. There were whispers of if she could really reign as his Queen if they are not actually bound. They would have to wait until the coronation when they stood before the Ancient Pythoness.

The ride to their tower rooms was quiet as once again everyone both kept trying to catch the eyes of the others as well as avoiding them themselves.

_'Pam and Bill won't be happy.'_ Briel thought to Gabe. She could see him turn his head to look at her but she kept her eyes stead fast on the elevator doors. She was supposed to be a grown up, not only that but a Queen; she couldn't break out in a fit of giggles.

_'Eric will see the humor.'_ Gabe replied as her turned his head back to the front. _'And I'm sure Sera has some major teasing revenge she should exact on Pam.'_

_'Yes, that should be interesting too see.'_ Briel stated with a small smile.

_'Well we definitely won't miss it.'_ Gabe promised mischievously. _'After all we are in charge of guarding them, it would be in our best interest to make sure we keep a close eyes on what's going on.'_

_'Of course.' _Briel agreed. _'Michael can't sense that we are slacking off. He will not hear of it where Sera is concerned.'_

_'If I didn't know any better, I would say that the two of you are up to something.' _Freyja's voice broke through their conversation.

_'What ever do you mean sister?' _Gabe projected innocently to everyone because he could tell that everyone had heard Freyja's statement.

_'Don't try that.' _Zeus injected. _'Anyone who knows anything about the two of you can tell when something's up.'_

_'And we want to know what you're up to.' _Odin finished.

_'So spill.' _Hera tacked on.

None of the guards were even aware of the silent communication that was going on with them as they climbed ever higher to their tower suites. Briel and Gabe regarded each other as they thought of the other's request. Deciding that it was too good for them to keep to themselves, they decided to spill.

_'We were just speaking of how Pam and Bill will react when we fill Eric and Sera in on what we did tonight.'_ Gabe responded. _'We were thinking that our brother and sister won't just let sleeping dogs lie.'_

_'Especially with all the teasing Pam likes to do, and how much Bill gets under Eric's skin.' _Briel added.

Laughter filled everyone's minds as they finally stopped on their floor.

_'Oh you have to show us, if something happens.'_ Freyja finally managed as they all filed out of the elevator.

_'Yes, this is something that I won't want to miss.'_ Odin agreed.

They agreed as the lead guard stopped in front of their door. He reached out for the door just as it opened. Sandy stood there with a briefcase in one hand with two guards standing behind her.

"Your Highness." She greeted as both she and her two guards bowed deferentially and moved out of their path of the door.

"Good evening Sandy." G-Eric greeted her as they walked into the large sitting room. "To what do we owe the pleasure?" B-Sookie and G-Eric moved with Sandy to the sitting area as faux-Pam and faux-Bill and the rest of the guards made themselves scarce...everyone except Shadow who moved to stand on the wall right beside where they sat.

"I just stopped by to bring you some papers of things that will need your immediate attention as soon as you begin work again. Nothing big, just a few cases that has to come before you. Also King Stan is still in with Victor, damage is minimal. Victor will be whole again by tomorrow night. They are still in questioning but as I've said before he knows nothing. We have been monitoring the progression of their interview closely and all the guards understand your wishes." Sandy opened her briefcase and pulled out a black file folder holder and handed it to G-Eric. "Everything is divided up; cases that need your immediate attention, financial papers that need your signature, and a preliminary accounting of the state's assets. Your final accounting should be done by tomorrow night."

"Is this just Las Vegas or does it include Louisiana and Arkansas?" He asked as he took the bound folder from her.

"This right now is just Nevada with pressing cases from Louisiana and Arkansas that have requests to come before the King. I will have final accounts of everything from the entire kingdom to you by tomorrow along with a few more things that will require your decision and/or signature. Also if you tell me where I will be able to direct where your offices should be set up at. I have a few places already mapped out for your consideration tomorrow also. Did the guard perform to your satisfaction?"

"Yes, they worked well." G-Eric replied.

"Great, you can keep them permanently if you want. I will also be bringing a list of files for you to choose from for your permanent personal guard for both you and the Queen and also for Pam and Bill if you choose. Also now that you are here the whole security has been taken over by our people. The complete setup is also in the bag, you have the only copy. It will be changed randomly with only the previous knowledge of you and the Queen."

"Thank you Sandy if that is all, you are dismissed."

"Goodnight sir, I will see you tomorrow." With that Sandy stood, and with one last bow she and her guards were gone.

Gabe leaned his head back, taking in the sounds that surrounded him. The guards were moving restlessly around the rooms. They had already searched everywhere so they knew that they were safe. He loved the time that he had while in his brother's body. Sometimes humans just didn't get what a gift this life was for them. He loved being an angel and he would never disrespect his Father in wishing that he was anything other that what he was; but how did humans not see the beautiful gift this earth was to them? When they were out, the sites and sounds that surrounded them was amazing. He loved the big lights of the strip and the hustle and bustle of the happy people walking up and down the strip. Humanity had come so far.

He needed to say it, but he didn't want to. If he did then he would have to head from this wondrous place to the blackness that is trying to kill the ones that he loved. He had his own theories as to what Lilith wanted and he knew Michael did to, but so far it hasn't given them a clue as to how to find her. He knew Sera was worried about her witch roommates and her telepathic friend that both seemed to be missing. He never thought that Felipe had Barry but he could understand how it seem logical to them.

There was one thing though that made him feel better. If everything was as he thought. Lilith has been underestimating his dear sister. If he were a betting angel he would guess that Lilith had taken Barry and that meant one thing. How do you plot and plan against someone that was well protected with a special power? You take someone just like them, learn all you could about them and then use that knowledge against your original target.

He didn't want to say it but he knew he had to. It was time. Being Michael's second in command afforded him a lot of things. However it didn't give him something that seemed to escape all man (and Angel alike). It didn't give him more time. The words were spoken from his mouth though his lips never moved.

"It's time everyone." Briel said. They all looked at one another but silently filed into the mater bedroom.

Gabe was the last one in, but before he closed the door they allowed peace to envelope the security guards who were now watching their odd behavior warily. He closed the door behind himself and locked it. When he turned back to the others he found that they had already shed their disguises, now clothed in white robes, and standing at attention waiting for his lead. He walked over to them standing right in front of Briel. Without a word they stepped into one another. When they fused both of their clothing was replaced by their battle gear. He turned to face the others to see that they had followed his lead and they too changed from their robes into their battle gear.

_'Triplets,' _Gabriel called in a normal voice_. 'Return with your charges.'_ His command was followed in the next second the Triplets were there, each one standing next to a different coffin. Simultaneously they each touched their right fist to their left shoulder and bowed their head in deference.

"Thank you." Gabriel said to them out loud. "You are dismissed." With that they were gone without another sound.

"What are we to do about Bill?" Freyja asked as she ran her hand over the coffin that contained Bill's corpse.

"There's nothing to do but make Eric and Sera aware of what happened and just watch him." Zeus answered. "We don't know the effects that will show."

"If any show at all." Odin said. "We will have to just wait and see."

"We will take Eric and Sera." Gabriel stated walking to the head of their coffin.

"I will take Pamela." Odin stepped up.

"I will stay with Bill." Freyja said though she didn't take her eyes away from his coffin.

Zeus moved to stand at the foot of the coffins as a just in case. He knew that he would need to make his exit as shadow. He would be glad when he could properly get to know his newest brother and sister. Eric really interested him because Eric is a warrior just like himself. He wasn't just any warrior either, but one of the best. Zeus could respect that. He stood tall as he watched his cohorts prepare to reawaken their chosen.

***************

_UNKOWN LOCATION_

The world could be burning or the sky could be crashing down and it didn't matter one bit. Gold and silver currents ran over both their bodies, jumping from his skin to hers and back again. Eric and Sookie were lost within each other and nothing that didn't have anything to do with them mattered. They loved in position after position after position, never tiring.

Eric flipped Sookie onto her stomach. He pushed his leg between hers and parted them wide. He snaked his left arm around her waist letting it slowly climb until he held her supple breast in his hand.

"Mmm Eric." Sookie moaned as he massaged her breast with one hand as he supported his weight with the other. "Take me Eric." She pleaded.

"You wish is my command Lover." Eric purred, his voice was pure sex.

She pushed her butt up into him, making Eric groan as her soft ass ground against his perpetual erection. Sookie reached her hand between her parted legs to cup his testicles in her hand. "Sooookie." Eric managed hoarsely as she gently rolled and squeezed his jewels in her perfect hand. His hips pulled back and then bucked into her, making his swollen dick pass through her slick folds. "So wet, Lover." He teased as he moved his hips back and forth letting his cock slide over her clit and causing her to shiver though never entering her.

Sookie's never been one for teasing. She gave his jewels one final squeeze before grabbing firmly onto his cock, positioning him at her entrance. Eric gave a low rumble of appreciation as he felt her drip all over his cock.

"So impatient my Lover." He said as he slid his head easily into her warmth. "All you had to do was tell me you wanted...." He didn't finish his sentence but he did thrust wildly into Sookie's depths. He was fully seated within her and a shudder rocketed through both of their bodies at the sensation.

Eric gripped Sookie's breast tighter in his hand, causing her to whimper but he knew he wasn't hurting her. Sookie was a woman of many facets. Sometimes she wanted to make love, other times she wanted to be playful in sex, but sometimes she just wanted to be fucked. He could feel in their bond that this was one of those times. He pulled almost all the way back out and then slammed back into her. Their skin smacked loudly against each other.

"Fuck Sookie." Eric said as he thrust into her again. "So warm...so tight."

"All..ungh...for you...fuck!...King Northman...shit!" Sookie panted back as Eric slammed into her over and over and over again. She felt as if she had some kind of bull's eye within her because Eric was hitting the right spot over and over again, causing her to speak in a language without words.

Eric's stroke faltered when she called him King Northman. His dick didn't twitch but jumped of its own accord. "Say it again!" He demanded; punctuating it with to hard strokes. He pinched her nipple as he waited for her to reply.

"King...ahhh....Northman!" She managed.

Eric checked out, and King Northman showed up for work. His hand switched from one breast to the other as he began to thrust with all the might his muscled body possessed. Sookie felt overwhelmed as he began to move in and out of her with vampire speed that no vampire but Eric could accomplish. She didn't know what to do but her body told her that this was one ride she never wanted to stop. Her labored breathing and screams and her cries with his name on her perfect lips drove King Northman on and he wrote his name all over her pussy in every language he knew. When he was done others would know she was his by the funny way she would walk because there was no way that she was going to be able to walk straight after this.

Sookie's body couldn't help it; it couldn't take the loving that her husband was raining upon her without some kind of release. As soon a that incoherent thought passed through her mind Eric's hand moved from her breast down to her nub and began to rub it in small quick circles. It only took once before her body seized up, clamping down hard on his cock and they both came hard with each others name on their lips.

Eric returned and his strokes slowed though they didn't stop. He lazily continued to thrust in and out of Sookie prolonging both their climaxes. Their bodies quaked involuntarily at the sensations. He moved his hand from between Sookie's legs and moved it so that his wrist was in front of her mouth. Sookie took the silent request and bit his wrist hard until his sweet blood filled her mouth. Eric rested his head between her shoulder blades as he moaned his appreciation. With every pull his stroke got stronger. Soon Sookie was moaning her pleasure as she continued to drink.

This coupling wasn't rough but restorative. He quickly brought them both close to the edge before he leaned forward and sank his teeth into Sookie's neck. He exploded deep inside her as soon as her blood crashed onto his tongue. Sookie began to worry that she was taking too much from Eric but he continued to push his wrist to her mouth so she accepted it gratefully.

That was their only function at the moment, to drink each other in. They were still joined but the only movement that came at their connection was from their ragged breaths. Drinking from each other was lustful and loving and filling and energizing. Neither took notice at how many more currents were rolling over their nude bodies. The currents were thicker and brighter and lashed out into the air. Nothing like this has happened to them without them being powered up.

Eric rolled them to their sides, careful to not break their connection, so that Sookie would be more comfortable. Her head rested in the crook of his shoulder as she held his wrist to her mouth with her hands. Where he had initially bitten Sookie became a little awkward so he released his bite, causing Sookie to whimper in protest. He used his free hand to sweep her hair away from her neck. He licked the wounds he had just made before biting her again right on the artery that was pulsing enticingly at him. They moaned at the sensation and they both continued to drink deeply from one another.

This was an intense pleasure that neither had anything that remotely compared. Sookie always knew how arousing it was for Eric when he was being fed from. She remembered when they were in Russell's mansion after they came back from Club Dead and Eric gave her his blood to heal her. He came without them even having sex. That same reaction had not changed as he came within her over and over as she continued to feed but it became her reaction too. After the first few times they seemed to be one and they climaxed together over and over and over again. Each time they did a shudder rocked their bodies, doing crazy things to them as they were still joined.

They didn't know how long they laid like that. Connected and drinking from one another. If Sookie had to nail it down she would say a few hours, but soon they were both sated and they both pulled their teeth from the others body. Drinking so much from one another should have been fatal but as one took they also gave. It created a harmonious circle allowing both to be fully replenished without endangering each others lives. It seemed to be an instinct about when enough was enough and they both silently vowed to always heed that instinct. Sookie wondered if it would be so easy when they weren't...wherever they were and they had to deal with the intoxicating high they got from drinking from one another. Time will tell.

Sookie turned in Eric's arms and he held her close. He turned them so that he was on his back and she nestled her head right under his chin as she partially laid her body on his. Her arm rested on his chest and her leg was thrown haphazardly over his waist. Neither was tired anymore but they both closed their eyes in rest just because they knew that they should.

They didn't know what was coming but they were ready. Would they mess up? Quite possibly. Could they fail? It was always a chance. Would they run away? Never. Sookie slipped into a light sleep as Eric went into downtime.

****************

_BACK AT THE HOTEL_

Something was different. Sounds bombarded them from every direction and it was so very loud. The air was heavier and it was tinged with a stagnant taste. Sookie jumped in his arms as the roar of everything inconsiderately jerked her from her peaceful slumber. He could feel her panic as their minds raced to figure out what was going on.

Eric looked down into Sookie's wide eyes when he felt her tremor at the sudden contrast to the peaceful bliss that they were just wrapped in.

She didn't know what to think as it sounded like someone put speakers to her ears and blasted her with a million different talk radio shows. She was scared and she knew Eric felt it as he tried to rub her back soothingly. She felt his resolve as he prepared himself with the need to defend them. Sometimes she wanted to kick herself because as far as she has come, should couldn't help but be scared. She hated it but it was the truth, and she wasn't just scared she was petrified and disoriented and confused and a tiny bit nauseous. She couldn't help it when she began to shake. Eric looked down at her and she could almost see the wheels of his mind working. She wished that she could hear him but _everything_ was just so loud and none of it made sense.

His mind was jumping from one place to the other and it began preparing him for everything. As he looked down into Sookie's fearful eyes he could see them turn into confusion as he was sure his eyes showed a spark of recognition. His mind was so busy thinking about every possibility that it completely skipped over the most obvious one. He knew the hell hole they had been so carelessly thrust into. He had learned that usually the right answer was the simplest answer...and the simplest answer for their new disorienting state is that they had been returned.

Hearing the voices of Gabriel, Odin, and Freyja he knew he was right. He even saw Sookie perk her ears up trying to catch their voices. He knew without having to be told. They were back....


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear in any of the Charlaine Harris books, everyone else belongs to me.

A/N: Well, this has been a difficult chapter to write. There's just so much that I wanted to put into it and technically it should be longer. I however was happy with this much of it and thought that you have waited long enough for an update. As always I would like to thank all my fans that review and comment to me. Thank you for helping me become a better writers. Theres another announcement I would like to make but that will have to wait until the end of the chapter. I promise to never take short cuts with this story. I promise never to rush our journey. I promise I WILL finish it. Most importantly I promise to get out of your way now so that you can read this chapter....Enjoy.

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Vibrations racked their body as they felt Gabriel all around them. The incessant noise was cut away and their eyes, which never turned back to their normal shade, grew brighter as Eric and Sookie looked at each other. The silver and golden currents that still crawled over their bodies increased their pace. The top of their coffin opened and they both looked up to see Gabriel looking over their nude forms.

"Welcome back brother." His beautiful two toned voice sounded as he nodded his head to Eric, and then to Sookie as he continued. "Sister." They didn't reply to his words but they both smiled at him.  
With a wave of his hands the coffin that Eric and Sookie were sharing disappeared, leaving them floating in midair. Sera didn't have a problem with nudity; it was natural and nothing to be ashamed of. Gabriel knew, however that _Sookie_ was not raised in the same way. Before she could get embarrassed he summoned their choice of clothing when they were powered up to their bodies. He used his hands like joysticks and maneuvered them so that they were in the standing position. It wasn't lost on him that their shields had not produced themselves yet. According to their eyes and hair and the power that was washing off of their bodies, they should be completely powered up. Perhaps it was his fault. Maybe because he was shielding them, their own shields hadn't produced themselves.

"Are your minds protected?" He asked them.

"Yes." They replied in unison. He nodded at them and removed his protective influence from around them. Just as he thought, their shields encased them the second his protective influence was removed. Sera's silver enclosure wrapped tightly around both her and Eric's forms, while his wrapped around hers.

Eric stood right behind Sookie with just inches in between them. Their bond was completely open and their emotions were in complete harmony. They felt powerful and alive and more satiated and rested than either had ever felt. They looked in the eyes of each of their angelic siblings eyes and neither had to be in each other's minds to know that they were looking in exactly the same place at the exact same time.

They smiled at each one, looking in tandem to the left where Odin and Freyja stood over Bill's and Pam's coffin. "No," Eric and Sookie spoke in unison. "We want an update before you wake them."

"Are you sure, some of it does involve them also." Odin said.

"We are sure." They said.

"Okay." Gabriel answered. He looked over to the other angels. "Move into position." He ordered them.

They moved into a very loose circle, as close as Eric and Sera's shields would allow them to get, and they raised their arms out to the sides so that the tips of their fingers touched and created a diamond around Eric and Sookie. Seeing what they were doing, they brought their shields closer into their bodies. Sookie's silver enclosure was like a skin over both their bodies and Eric's golden enclosure was barely more than that. The angels closed their diamond tighter around their brother and sister, making it easier to touch one another. They were now close enough so that Odin and Zeus were able to touch Gabriel's shoulders so that his hands were free.

"By us touching like this, we will be able to show you each angel's point of view." Gabriel said. "You will be able to pick up each point of view as it was seen by that particular angel and also how we received it and the thoughts we had about it. Everyone will be adding their own thoughts and feelings. Okay?"

"Okay." They replied with a nod.

Gabriel squared his shoulders before reaching out towards their enclosures. His hands were stopped at the barrier of Eric's enclosure but he pressed forward and the enclosure relented, he repeated the process with Sookie's silver enclosure until he was able to rest one hand on Sookie's shoulder and the other on Eric's.

They had a brief thought where they wondered if this would overwhelm them but another part of them thought that it was too late. As if it were a punctuation to that second thought Sookie and Eric's vision became blurred as what can only be described as five screens appeared, taking up their entire line of sight. Their barriers became nonexistent as the only voices they were able to hear were those of the angels. Everything played all at once making the big picture more detailed than ever with everything being seen through five points of views.

Then everything focused and the different pictures on the five screens fused into one large picture that covered them all. They were looking at Michael in what they both recognized as the place they were when they first met all the angels.

"The choice is up to you Gabriel." Michael was saying. "You are Sera's primary guardian, so it's up to you whether or not you want to stay with her and Eric or if you choose to come with me."

Gabriel thought about it for a moment before he gave his answer. "We will stay with Sera and Eric. They are our responsibilities."

"Fine." Michael replied. "Do what you have to do to keep their kingdom on track. They need to regenerate sooner rather than later or their bodies will do it for them and it may be at an inopportune moment."

"Understood." Gabriel said. Both he and Michael looked up at a window to show them what Eric and Sera were doing on earth. They looked tired as they traveled back to their hotel room, utterly spent. They sagged against one another, propping each other up as they moved. Yes, they were already fighting against their bodies need to regenerate itself without even knowing that's what they were doing.

"I know that it goes without saying but I still must warn you that Sera may be aware of your presence though she's not able to see you." Michael said. "This will be the first time that you will be invisible around her since she's come into her power."

"Yes, we will make ourselves known if she calls to be but we will not be corporeal."

Michael nodded thoughtfully. In the absence of conversation they both watched the screen of their brother and sister. They were talking to the shifters who had fought with them. To Michael and Gabriel their weariness was obvious, though to the other shifters and vampires it was completely invisible...the things that humans (even super humans) can miss sometimes was amazing.

"Jealousy is not in our nature." Michael stated. Hearing his change in tone Gabriel relaxed, this was no longer his commander talking, but his brother. "There is so much that we must endure, but I must admit that at times I just cannot help the twinge in my heart because it is you watching over my dearest sister and not me."

"Michael there is no shame in what you feel." Gabriel said as he looked his brother in the eye. "It's true that we do not feel as humans do, nor as any other living creature in all the many universes, but we are not heartless. Sera is closer to you than any of us could ever hope to be." Michael opened his mouth to argue that point but Gabriel held his hand up so that he could continue. "It is true. The position that you are in is like none other in existence and we follow your lead willingly. It is, however, not a secret how your position isolates you at times, even from us (he motioned to himself); and we have known you well before time was even numbered.

"Sera seems to be your link to the rest of us. She seems to be the key in showing you how to stand before us and not apart from us. We know what she means to you and we are humbled that it was us you choose to watch over her and her destined. You will notice that we said 'Sera _is_closer to you...' because there is no past tense to it. The bond of friendship you two share cannot be broken. We have never seen a more pure bond...except maybe that in which she shares with her destined. We will do our best in watching over her brother. We've learned a long time ago that the same connection you feel towards Sera is the same connection that we all feel with her. She is special to us all."

Michael's penetrating gaze flicked from Gabriel's over to the movements on the screen. He watched as _Gabriel _appeared out of thin air in his Sera and Eric's suite. Gabriel could see that their discussion had come to an abrupt halt as his brother disappeared and his commander returned. Michael's back straightened and his eyes narrowed and flashed dangerously. His entire body pivoted away from Gabriel towards the screen. Gabriel took in the screen and turned to leave but Michael grabbed him by the shoulder.

"Stop." He said. "Their enclosures should protect them." He was right because in the next moment they appeared. Their relaxed stance was shattered the next moment when Pam exited her coffin. "Go!" Michael commanded and in the next second Gabriel was gone. He knew that if Dragxin was here then Lilith wasn't far off. If he was already on this line of thought he knew that Michael was already four paces ahead of that.

He pushed himself beyond time and space as he rushed to the earth. His white robes transformed into his battle gear as he watched Pamela engage the demon. He burned through the earth's atmosphere when four shadows crossed in front of him, blocking his path. Gabriel kept pushing forward as he called his sword and shield to him. They were fast and heavily armored as they surrounded him, halting his path to the hotel.

"Move or die!" He roared at them. They made their choice as they all attacked him at once. He engaged them with an intensity they never expected from the two voiced. Their swords clanged loudly but the demon's weapons dissolved upon contact of Gabriel's. He knew that they were trying to hold him up and he needed to get to his brother's child before she was lost. He chanced a glance down to see Pam sauntering up to Dragxin, who was still in disguise. He made quick work of the four demons and pushed himself towards the hotel only to have the morning sky erupt with more black shadows.

It was then that anarchy broke out. Lightning bolts struck out of a clear sky annihilating hoards of demons. As much as he loved a good fight he had to get to Pam so Gabriel disregarded the battle that raged around him as he flew the few thousand miles that separated him from the suite. He killed all who dared tried to block his way. He stowed his sword and shield as he descended the floors. He watched as Pam and Dragxin embraced and kissed each other. So riled of from the fight above he landed with a loud boom, that seemed to break them away from one another.

Eric and Sookie continued to watch as Pam stabbed the demon Dragxin and then watched as Gabriel engaged him in battle. They admired the fighting skills of both because if there was anything that Eric could respect, it was a good fighter. Though he was on Gabriel's side he wasn't ignorant enough to not acknowledge that Dragxin had skills also. They took in all the information and insight that Gabriel had to offer them all the while they planned. It wasn't lost on either one how Pam and Dragxin reacted to one another. Eric thought that they could use it, but Sookie thought they were asking for trouble. Matters of the heart was tricky business whether you were dead or alive and trying to manipulate it was just asking for trouble. Sookie however would defer however to Eric in this time of battle. Eric was very impressed with the efficiency that Gabriel operated with. He would definitely be having a talk with Pam.

They continued their educational journey as they watched Gabriel become Gabe and Briel, splitting the five screens from one point of view to two, and totally freaking out Pam. They couldn't help but smirk at that and it wasn't lost on the angels that surrounded them that they were still moving in tandem with one another, even their breathing was in sync. Eric and Sookie both stiffened when Gabe and Briel both examined Bill. Horror shot through Sookie, and therefore Eric, when Bill's body didn't accept the peace Gabe and Briel tried to cover him in. Their mind swirled with a thousand possibilities and precautions and scenarios as they took in the thoughts of not only each other but every angel that surrounded them. It got awfully congested in their minds with all of the information and thoughts and possibilities that swirled in their heads.

As they conferred and predicted together their number, on the screen, turned from two into three as Michael joined Gabe and Briel. Sookie wondered if that was the first ever angelic OSM (oh shit moment), much to Eric's distraction and amusement. Everything seemed to fast forward as Gabriel not only provided them with his two perspectives but a live commentary on what he could glean from Michael's words and body language. Soon, four out of the five screens were taken up when Michael called Zeus and Freyja to help Gabe and Briel. Secretly Eric agreed with Zeus about going in for the kill instead of the capture, but Freyja was right, it was a chance either way.

They angels watched their brother and sister as they took in all the information that was being thrown at them all at once. As Eric and Sera studied what came to them, the angels studied them. It wasn't clear to them still but their body language was slowly making more and more sense. They watched all the small flicks of emotion that crossed their faces and knew that that was Sera effecting Eric. They watched as both of them tensed when they got to the part of the vision where Sam way laying his heart bare; and they knew that that was Eric effecting Sera. Gabriel watched as Eric and Sera moved as they were supposed to, as one, and wondered how long it would last. He was aware that they weren't to the point were they would truly be one, but if they've been doing it this long with all the information and emotion that was being hurled at them, he thought that they couldn't be too much further off.

A surge of pride burst through Eric as he watched himself and his bonded being impersonated. He liked the strong way that they appeared to Sandy and Calvin and Alcide. They exuded strength and confidence and they were decisive. He watched as they decided to do what he would have done and put the kingdom first and went to the site of what used to be Felipe's mansion. A perverse pleasure swirled within them both as they Briel and Shadow both took in the demolished site. It was times like this that had Zeus wondering exactly who influenced whom more. Eric liked the way that it would look to the magical community to see Sookie leading the search for the injured. It would make her look very in command, which is something he needed her to exude when he wasn't around and at the same time it made her look caring and concerned, which reiterated the reasons why so many of the supe world were drawn to her in the first place.

"Stop this Eric, Sera!" Zeus said. They were at the part where vampires were attacking Briel who was impersonating Sookie and Eric and Sera was not taking it so well. Their enclosures were growing with the anger that radiated off of them and small bolts were lashing off of their enclosures. Gabriel was completely engulfed by the silver and gold enclosures but Zeus stepped away. The bolts coming off their enclosures were getting bigger and bigger as their enclosures were no longer able to grow enough to hold them back. He summoned his trident and used it as a lightning rod, drawing all of the gold and silver lightning strikes to it so that they wouldn't destroy the suite room and alert the guards outside.

_'Eric, we have to calm down.'_Sookie thought to him.

Eric was too busy seething to respond to her and every spark of calm she tried to gather in order to push at him was quelled before she could even begin.

_'They dare attack my wife?! They dare attack what is mine?'_ Eric circled the same thoughts over and over in his mind.

_'Technically they attacked Briel; not me.'_ Sookie tried to point out, hoping to distract him instead of letting his anger build even more. It had been a long while since his anger caused her to loose control but they were getting awfully close. She tried throwing up walls so that she was diverting his flow of anger around her instead of letting it wash over her but the tide was rising awfully high.

_'Do you think he knew that?'_ Eric demanded. _'No because he thought it was really you, if he didn't he would have never attacked!'_

Gabriel could see the fine cracks that began to develop between them as Eric was raging mad and Sera struggled to calm him. They were slowly loosing their sync. A little disheartened he tried to help by rolling the playback. When "Sookie" ripped off her attackers arm and began beating him with it Eric paused. Sookie took the chance to force as much calm as she could into him as possible. When she had to be reminded that she was still electrocuting the others, Eric was positively gleeful. He and Sookie joined hands as the reel kept playing for them.

Gabriel smiled when they reached for each others hand at the same exact time. Their enclosures inched back to where they were before and again only his arms were inside them. Zeus stepped back in place with his trident propped up against him, wanting to keep it close just in case.

The rest of the night played out easily. They were amused to see how Dr. Ludwig treated "Sookie" and Shadow. Eric was most annoyed when "Sookie" went to feed and advise her main attacker. Though he could understand the reasoning for it, Eric couldn't help being slightly annoyed at Briel. It wasn't the reasoning that got him, it was the fact that it really wasn't so far off from what he thought the real Sookie would actually do.

_'Would not!'_ She thought indignantly. Like she hadn't been beaten up enough to know that you don't confront those that want to kick your ass.

_'That was when they were stronger than you.' _Eric pointed out._ 'You tend to go back to those that hurt you. Look at your relationship with your brother, or Bill, or even that slut Arlene who worked with you. They all treated you shitty and you gave them all chance after chance after chance.'_

_'Well thank you Dr. Phil.'_ She couldn't help grumble.

_'Who is this Dr. Phil?'_ Eric asked curiously. _'Is he someone I need to kill?'_

_'No, I will explain it later.'_

It amused the others to see them both produce the same facial expressions no matter who was speaking; this made Gabriel hopeful again.

All and all Eric and Sookie were very happy with all that happened as they watched "Sookie" and Shadow's return to the hotel room where Shadow had to do some quick explaining for why she was about to tear the were apart for trying to wake them. Smelling what "Sookie" and Shadow smelled as they went into the room where "Eric" lay sleeping with his child and Bill, Eric could smell Alcide, Calvin, and Stan in the room. That was too many damn people. He would have to rectify the situation as soon as possible. He didn't care about what new gifts he and Sookie were given, having _anyone_knowing where you were resting is just asking for trouble. Sookie agreed, though it wasn't lost on either her or him that when they both passed out at the beginning of their regeneration, they were putting their trust in Alcide and Calvin. This was something that Sookie willingly did, though Eric hated it, but what other choice did they have?

There really was much more to that night, though Eric was pissed that Stan had his crack at Victor before he did. No matter, better to let him have his chance now than later because he knew that when he was done there would be no more Victor to speak of. It was good to know why this suite was no longer like the one they started off with. As soon as Eric had the thought, Sookie looked around but it didn't work because no matter where she turned her head, all she saw was the five screens. Eric injected his memories of the suite from when they first awoke and she loved them, but she couldn't wait to see it with her own eyes.

"This is from earlier tonight. It begins at dusk." Gabriel said, redirecting Sookie's thoughts. The tone of his two timbered voice caught her attention. Both she and Eric tilted their heads slightly to the side as they tried to work out the odd expression on Gabriel's face. It was an odd mix of amusement and anxiousness. He had their complete attention. That is until Freyja chuckled before she could actually stop herself, causing them to turn their heads to her.

"Um, sorry." She said, though she clearly wasn't. "Carry on." They spent another second on her face before turning back to Gabriel.

He didn't say anything though. Suddenly their view was once again obstructed by five pictures and points of views. 'Eric' and 'Sookie' were dressed and waiting in the sitting room. They sat on the couch, and by the other two points of views they were waiting for Pam and Bill to be ready. Shadow stepped into the room, his clothes now changed and he sat in an arm chair, waiting on Pam and Bill.

"You look lovely my Queen." Shadow said with a small smile.

Briel blushed but smiled. "Aw this old thing?" She asked with a small giggle. "It's just something I threw on." Eric and shadow rolled their eyes as Sookie smoothed out her dress. Briel only knew the basics when it came to human fashion and therefore liked to keep things simple. A quick trip on the internet and she was able to materialize a simple blood red floor length dress that was so light and sheer that it was almost see through. It had rouching detail on the upper bodice and thin halter straps that reached up from the center of the bodice to wrap around her neck. It wasn't formal but still more than casual. Her hair was swept up in a simple twist. She kept in her studs with the Gabriel seal on them and paired it with a matching bracelet. Briel made sure to keep the makeup light with burgundy tinted lip gloss and the lightest sweeps of burgundy over her eyes and cheek bones.

Gabe was making Eric look every good in a simple fitted grey t-shirt with the mark of Gabriel printed over the chest in big bold charcoal. He wore midnight blue jeans with black boots. His hair was pulled back in a low ponytail. They weren't wearing any of the same colors, and yet he and Briel just fit with one another.

Then again, they all seem to fit with one another. Even Zeus, who sat across from them as Shadow, dressed in all black still seemed to fit in with them. It was a connection that was more than skin deep. As Freyja and Odin came out of their rooms as Pamela and Bill it seemed to reiterate this same thought. Freyja had dressed Pam in a canary yellow dress that was modest and yet very sexy. The dress had a sheared neckline with dolman sleeves and created a drop waist silhouette. There was a matching belt made of the same material as her dress that loosely gathered the dress at the waist. She paired it with a pair of tan wedge heels that were at least three inches high. She was stylish and very close to Pam's natural conservative taste.

Odin dressed Bill in a white button down dress shirt with thin black pinstripes. He left it un-tucked and rolled the sleeves up his forearm. He paired it with tan khaki's and simple black boots that his pant leg covered.

"We are ready when you are." Odin said to Gabe and Briel as he followed Freyja over to where the others were sitting. It was lost on none of the group that not one of the security guards were able to keep from glancing appreciatively at Briel and Freyja.

"Good." Gabe replied as he helped Briel stand. "Shadow?"

"We will be headed out in a limousine that will be a part of a five car caravan." Shadow began. "Wherever we go there will be two teams securing the building and two teams that is will be split between two groups, King and Queen Northman, and then everyone else. No one knows that we are going out so that should keep any planned attacks at bay. Are there any questions?"  
No one spoke. So Shadow turned to Gabe and Briel. "Then we are ready to leave when you are." He put a wireless ear piece into his ear and then turned to the head of security. "I'm on channel three. Make sure that everyone is on the same channel."

"Yes sir."

"Alright let's go." Gabe said and they were all out the door. When they reached the lobby they were about part way through when high pitched squeals reverberated though the lobby.

They all looked around to see twenty little girls dressed in costume as their favorite princesses. They were all laughing and talking and some were even clutching their favorite princess dolls. Freyja's heart swelled at the sight of all the innocent little girls. And before she knew it her feet were carrying her over to the group of animated little girls and stressed yet amused parents. She ignored the security guard that moved with her.

"Oh how beautiful you all are!" She gushed. "I've never seen so many pretty princesses in all my life!"

A little girl with warm chocolate hair and matching eyes smiled big as she curtsied in her Belle costume. "Why thank you ma'am."

"Why are you all dressed up so prettily?" Freyja inquired as she stroked the thick curly locks of little Belle's hair.

"The hotel is putting on a night of royalty here." One of the parents answered. "The girls get to eat dinner and interact with all the famous princesses. It's a prelude to a new movie release featuring a new princess."

"Oh how amazing!" Freyja said. She looked over all the little children and spoke to all of them. "You know I am a Princess. My name is Pamela. May I join you all tonight?"

"If you're a princess then where is your crown?" A little girl dressed as Princess Jazmine asked with honest curiosity.

Freyja put her hand behind her back and summoned a dainty tiara. "It's right here. I never leave home without it." They little girls oohed and ahhed at the pretty tiara.

"Can I put it on you?" Little Belle asked.

"I would be honored." Freyja said. Wordlessly the security guard offered her his hand to help her kneel in front of the child. The little girl placed the tiara on Freyja's head being careful to make sure that the little combs at the ends were caught before released it with a big smile.

"There, now you're a princess too."

"Yes." Freyja replied getting back to her feet. She motioned for the rest of the group, who had been waiting by the door and they walked over. "I will join you later, I think I will attend this night of princesses with my new princess friends."

"Clearly." Gabe said with a perfect Eric smile.

"Wow, you're so handsome." Little Jazmine said with her eyes locked in awe on Gabe. "Are you a prince?"

Gabe laughed, enthralling both the little princesses and their adult guardians. "No little one. I am no prince." He said. "I am King Eric, and this is my beautiful Queen, Sookie."

The smallest little girl there made her way over to stand in front of Sookie. She was dressed in a pretty Sleeping Beauty dress with a big red bow on her head. Her short midnight hair hung like black silk. She looked exactly like a mini Sleeping Beauty. She tugged on Sookie's dress and waited until Sookie knelt to her height to speak. "Queen Sookie, will you come with us?"

Briel's voice caught in her throat. This little girl was just too cute. "I'm sorry Sleeping Beauty, I can't." The little Sleeping Beauty jutted her bottom lip out and lowered her head in a sad nod. "But I tell you what. My favorite Princess Pamela will stay with you and she's a whole lot of fun."

"Okay." The little girl said in a small voice and stepped back, tugging on the strings of Briel's heart.

Briel reached out for her and picked her up as she stood again. "Don't be sad little one, what if I said you could have my crown?" Little Sleeping Beauty's eyes blazed with excitement.

"Oh that's not necessary." A lady said as she stepped forward. She looked like an adult version of little Sleeping Beauty. "Amanda, it's okay. Just think how exciting it is that you actually met a Queen, a King and a Princess. You wouldn't want to take her tiara, she needs it."

"Actually it's okay ma'am." Briel said as she turned with little Sleeping Beauty-Amanda-in her arms still. "Shadow, do you have it with you?"

"Of course your Majesty." No one was looking at his hands so he summoned a crown fit for a Queen. If someone happened to be looking they would have saw his hands empty but when they blinked the crown would have been there. He held up the crown that was beautiful and almost glowing. It was petite with diamond swirls, nestled in the front was the mark of Gabriel. The diamond swirls went all the way around and it seemed to sparkle of it's own volition.

Gabe took it out of Shadow's hand and placed it on Amanda's head.

"Hold on to my neck sweetie." Briel said. Once Amanda slid her tiny arms around her neck Briel took the arm that was supporting her back and used it to summon hair pins and then used them to secure the crown on Amanda's head. "See, now you're a Queen too, like me." Briel smiled.

"Thank you Queen Sookie!" Amanda exclaimed as she threw her arms around her neck. When Briel put her down she was instantly surrounded by the other little girls as they all gushed over her new edition.

"Uh that really wasn't necessary." Amanda's mom said looking nervously between Briel and Gabe. Briel studied her for a moment before she understood her nervousness. She knew what Gabe and the other guards were. She knew they were vampires.

"It was my pleasure." Briel said in a polite tone. "I love children, and Amanda was just too cute to disappoint."

"Well if you're sure..." She trailed off as she watched Freyja interacting with the girls. Briel thought that maybe the time spent with Freyja would cure Amanda's mom of her nervousness.

"I am. Pamela is great with children too. You should have no worries." Amanda's mom studied Briel's face as she let the words swirl in her mind.

"Yes, thank you." She finally said. "Um is that real? Where do I need to return it to?"

"She can have it. It's a gift." Briel said. "And yes it is real, so you should be careful with it." She was completely speechless.

"It was nice meeting you all." Gabe said. "But we need to get going now. Pamela, find us when you are done."

"Yes Eric I will." Freyja said. Some of the little girls squealed began to pull her away from the rest of the group. The security guard that followed her the first time wasn't far behind her.

As Odin turned to walk away he looked back to see Freyja interacting with all the little girls and he couldn't help but smile.

"You're going to stay aren't you?" Briel asked when she saw the way he was looking back.

"I think I will." Odin replied. "It has been quite a while since I have been around little ones and I think it will be good for me."

"Find us later." Gabe said. Odin nodded and made his way back to Freyja and the group of girls.

The rest kept walking out of the hotel and then climbed into the limo. As soon as the guards were loaded in their cars they began their decent down the strip. They made it all the way down one way before Gabe gave the order to turn around.

"Stop!" Briel said as she tilted her head to the side. As Shadow gave the order and they came to a halt on the side of the street, Briel looked up and a slow smile crossed her face.

"What is it?" Shadow asked.

She simply pointed upwards and said. "It's our first destination."

The driver opened their door and they all filed out and then looked up. There was a large arm that reached out with people strapped to it spinning them around.

"Interesting choice." Shadow commented.

"Well, when on Earth," Briel began.

"Do as the mortals do." Gabe finished for her.

They made their way to the attraction. They saw a big poster for it calling it _Insanity-The Ride_. The extra security guards seemed to melt into the crowd as they made their way to the elevator.

"We have to do those too." Briel said as she pointed to movie sized posters that advertised _The Big Shot_ and _The X-Scream._ "They should be great too!"

"Have you ever been on a roller coaster?" Shadow asked.

"When in Rome...." She replied and they all smirked.

There were people everywhere but there wasn't a line. Their security was roaming the milling crowd. They walked to the front of the line where the operator was watching the ride run smoothly with some already loaded riders. She was a sweet looking woman with a uniform that advertised for the ride she was working.

"Good evening. Welcome to _Insanity_." She greeted them with a bright smile. Her perky gaze lingered on Gabe more than anyone else and in true Eric fashion he smirked at her, causing her to flush deeply and lose her words. "Um, uh wh-who will be our ten riders?" She stumbled.

"We will ride with them." A small voice spoke up after no one said anything. Shadow was about to motion for seven of the guards to come when a petite redhead stepped forward. She was about fourteen years old with long wavy red hair that trailed half way down her back. Her skin was smooth and creamy white and she wore a shy smile.

"Thank you." Briel beamed at her. "This is my first time here. My name is Sookie."

"I'm Jessica." The girl responded with another small smile. "This is my sister Anna and her boyfriend Steve." Anna was an older version of Jessica only her hair was cut shoulder length and was straight. Steve was about six foot even with an athletic build and short brown hair. They both smiled and said hello to everyone.

Briel dipped into their minds to see why a shy person like Jessica would step forward to ride with them. _'They're so pretty. They don't look like scary vampires, especially the blond woman. She actually looks like Aunt Sandy....No one will ride with them, that's not right. I know what it's like to not have anyone to ride with....Step forward, there's nothing wrong with being nice.'_

_'Wow, she's beautiful but that blond guy looks a bit scary.'_ Steve thought. _'Shit, Jessica volunteered us! Why did she have to choose now not to be a shy girl, crap....Mom says manners are everything, just be polite and everything will be alright...man Sookie is so beautiful.'_

_'I could totally kiss my sister. That blond guy is so freaking hot! I would not only be willing to lose my virginity to him I would happily wrap it up with a pink bow, strap a stick of dynamite to it and blow it to smithereens....They said that this group were vampires, but I would happily offer him an artery or four if he would just look my way....Way to go Jessica! This was the best time for you to step out of your shell.'_

"This is my husband Eric and our...friend Shadow." Briel introduced trying to hold back her laughter as she exited the teen's minds. Anna and Steve had to be no older than nineteen with hormones to match.

The worker went over what was going to happen and the safety rules she had to tell everyone who came. Shadow motioned almost imperceptibly and four guards came to stand with them so that there were no empty seats. Soon the ride began to slow and the riders exited with wind blown excitement. It was now their turn to be strapped in. Jessica was sitting directly across from Briel and gave her a scared smile. Briel returned it with an encouraging nod. The ride began slowly but soon all three G's were easily felt. The screams of Jessica and Anna filled the sky and even a few from Steve.

Shadow, Gabe and Briel let the beautiful lights below blend together in a whirlwind of colors and elongated shapes. The earth seemed to dance and swirl and put on a show for them. It was if it was on audition and they were the judges. The lights and sounds bent and twirled and jumped and spun, showing all its tricks. The movements were not jerky, but practiced and precise. For just a moment they were not angels and vampires and humans on a spinning ride but equal beings who's excitement and enjoyment of the same exact thing was shared between everyone. Even the vampire guards relaxed and enjoyed the ride. Everyone's frantic, enjoyable, mind bending thoughts were intoxicating to the angels and it pushed them further away from themselves and more into the moment.

All too soon the ride began to slow and all too soon they were unloaded. Jessica's equilibrium was a bit off as she giggled and wobbled. Briel pretended to have the same issue and threw her arm around Jessica's shoulders to steady her. "That was soo much fun Jessica!" Briel said as she and Jessica tried to walk a straight line back to the others.

"I know, it was a total blast!" Jessica agreed excitedly. "And I'm sure that at any moment I will be able to walk normally."

"I know a trick to making that happen super fast." Gabe said with a sly smirk.

"Please tell us because I think my head is trying to run away without my body." Anna said as she and Steve propped each other up, though they didn't dare try to take a step.

Gabe laughed. "Well you're in luck because the best way to send the dizziness away is to be shot straight into the air and then taken on the wild ride of a rollercoaster." Three sets of eyes looked at him, clearly questioning his sanity. Another two sets of eyes looked at him as if he was a genius.

"The Bigshot it is." Briel said, finally acting sober, though she still supported Jessica. "We will have a chance to chat as we wait in the line." Shadow nodded at her sly command.

They moved quickly to the next ride and the girls told them about themselves "How come you guys didn't get dizzy?" Jessica asked when she was able to walk under her own volition. The other security guys had already disappeared so she directed the question to Gabe and Shadow.

"Vampires don't get dizzy." Gabe smirked.

"That's lucky." Anna commented thoughtfully.

"Yea, vampires get all the breaks." Gabe smiled playfully, causing Anna and Jessica to blush.

"Stop that Eric." Briel said sliding her arm back around Jessica. She turned to whisper to Jessica conspiratorially, and yet loud enough for their entire group to hear. "I swear that smile of his should be illegal."

"Oh trust me Lover, it is." Gabe replied. "I just have no patience for the law." He flew around them and crouched but kept a playful smile on his face.

"Oh yes, my husband the rebel." Briel said as she and Jessica skid to a stop. "Sorry Jessica, you're gonna have to take one for the team." She said and Briel pulled her between her and Gabe.

"Aw that's cold." Steve said with a small chuckle as he and Anna looked on. "Sacrificing the little girl in the hopes of getting away."

"Hey, it's either me or her." Briel said as he moved a giggling Jessica around to keep her between her and a circling Eric. "And as sweet as she is, I still like me better."

"Jeez I'm feeling the love here Sookie." Jessica complained playfully.

"Sorry kid, it's nothing personal." Briel said.

"Of course it is." Gabe said. "Hiding behind the child will not save you."

"Hey I'm not a child." Jessica said indignantly. "I'll be fifteen in three weeks."

"I'm over a thousand years old." Gabe replied. Steve, Anna, and Jessica all froze in shock and Shadow who had been following them silently finally laughed at the awestruck looks on the humans faces.

Gabe took this as his chance to strike. Faster than the three mortals could even process, Gabe plucked Briel from behind Jessica and wrapped her in his arms. Seeing him disappear alone and reappear with Briel in his arms seemed to bring them back to reality.

"I win." Gabe said.

"Yes you do." Briel replied as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "And what does the winner want?"

"The same thing I always do." Gabe replied as he tightened his grip. Ever so lightly he brushed his lips against hers. "You." He knew she was going to respond but he didn't want her to. He already knew what she was going to say so he didn't need to hear it. They both could hear the heart beats of Jessica, Anna, and even Steve speed up but that didn't matter right now. He claimed the lips of his other half. Gabe and Briel knew in theory what it was like for Eric and Sera to kiss one another and they knew that this was nothing like that. They, after all, were not human and vampire and were connected in a completely different way then Eric and Sera.

Gabe pressing his lips to Briel's felt like the magical rush they got when they became one. It was as if they were in that process but stuck right before completion and every part of them came alive. Every part of them was aware of the other and they were quickly swept away. Everything on earth was so sensory...even for them. Everything was a rush and felt so much more acutely.

The sound of a clearing throat and a mental nudge brought them back to their sense and they looked up to see Shadow smirking knowingly at them as he nodded his head infinitesimally towards the three sets of rounded eyes of their minor and barely legal companions. Gabe smirked in a very Eric-like way, while Briel borrowed a page from Sera and blushed brilliantly. Gabe set Briel back on her feet and she smoothed out her dress. Jessica motioned to her mouth with a wiping motion when she caught the eye of Gabe. He stuck his tongue out and ran it across his bottom lip to taste the gloss Briel left on him. He wiped his mouth off and sent a wink to Jessica, making her blush brightly. Gabe could understand why Eric did some of the things he did. It was very...gratifying to see the effect he had on people.

They were next in line when Jessica broke the silence that fell between them. "You said you were over a thousand years old?" Gabe nodded. "Where are you from?"

Briel burst into laughter. "Remember those Vikings you always heard about raping and pillaging and plundering and making war where ever they went?" They nodded. "Say hello to their Prince." She barely got out the whole sentence before she erupted again in laughter.

"Really?" Steve asked completely impressed.

Gabe nodded. "Only Hollywood has distorted history. We didn't rape, that was looked down upon and dealt with quite harshly. We respected our women. Most of us were fishermen and farmers."

"No offence Eric but you're not exactly built like a farmer or a fisherman." Anna pointed out as she eyed his vast chest appreciatively.

Gabe laughed. "No, my father was the leader and I was in charge of defending what was his. If we had an especially hard winter or the crops failed and we needed something, then I was in charge of going to find what we needed so that we would not starve."

"So there was some pillaging involved." Jessica said with a sly smile.

"Of course, "Eric said."But we were not the stupid blood thirsty warriors that Hollywood makes us out to be."

The ride attendant was helping the group that had just finished riding off the ride as they prepared to board.

"Can you say something in your native tongue?" Jessica asked. They began choosing seats and Jessica chose the seat next to Eric. He helped her in right after he helped Briel, causing Jessica to blush again at his nearness.

"Din rodna är mest bli av ditt vackra ansikte. Du gör din man en mycket lycklig man." Gabe said as he looked directly into her eyes. He gave her a soft smile before sitting in his own chair. The worker came and quickly checked everyone's straps.

"What does that mean?" Jessica asked.

Gabe was about to speak when they were all shot into the air. The night sky was filled with the screams of the women. Briel wasn't surprised or scared but wanted to not be an Angel at the moment, but to be just another girl so she opened her mouth wide and let her scream rip. Gabe loved the light hearted feeling he got from not only Briel but from Jessica and Anna and Steve. It had been too long since he had been on Earth...actually on Earth and not on a mission or assignment.

_'Indeed.'_Briel thought to him.

_'I agree.'_Zeus said. He was sitting next to Anna and in her terror, she was gripping his hand quite tightly. Zeus liked how these three humans seemed to easily forget that they were vampires and supposed to be scared of them as some people would have them believe. If they were the example of the way the world was moving then maybe the world was moving in the right direction. Maybe Eric and Sera will have a somewhat easier path then originally thought. Just maybe....

The Big Shot was exhilarating and amazing. When they got off they ran to the X-Scream and this time Briel didn't put a damper on moving them through the line. They had perfect timing, when they reached the gate the group before had just exited and it looked as if the worker was waiting for them. Jessica hopped in first and Briel jumped in next to her. Anna and Steve jumped in behind them, Gabe got in behind them and Shadow got in behind Gabe.

"You don't have to ride with me if you'd rather be with Eric." Jessica said while they were secured in the ride.

"Naw it's okay Jessica." Briel said. "Besides Eric and Shadow are on the tall side it would be more comfortable for them to ride alone so that they can sit diagonally."

"Thanks."

"No problem."

"Sookie, do you know what Eric said to me in his native tongue?"

Briel was about to answer her when the ride took off; taking them on a journey of exhilarating twists and turns. Jessica and Briel clutched to each other tightly. Steve was highly satisfied that Anna was clinging to him tightly. He tightened his hold on her too trying to keep himself from screaming like a bitch...especially when they went over the edge and over the city below. Gabe and Shadow both lifted their head to the Heavens, enjoying the thoughts and feelings and vibrations that were bombarding them from every direction. It was times like this that they understood, truly understood, why their Father loved walking among the humans...even today.

Like all the others the ride was over way too fast and they all found themselves back at the entrance of the hotel. Their limo was waiting for them.

Briel pulled Jessica into her arms. "Thank you for stepping up Jessica. I had so much more fun sharing this with you."

"Anytime Sookie." Jessica said as she hugged Briel back.

"Can we exchange numbers?" Anna asked. "Maybe we can go to lunch or shopping or something. How long are you going to be here?"

"We will be here for a while. I would love to see you both again." Briel said as Shadow handed over her cell phone.

Anna reached in her pocket for her phone but it wasn't there. "Crap I don't have mine, do you have it Steve?"

"Nah babe, last time I saw it we were in the car when your dad called...."

"Crap I must have left it." Anna said slapping her forehead with her palm. "Do you have yours Jess?"

"Yeah." She replied as she pulled hers out. "I was sure to...."

"What's wrong?" Briel asked.

"It's after midnight and my Dad has already called four times."

"Oh no, we're dead." Anna said.

"What do you mean 'we'?" Steve said. "Your dad is going to ground you both, but he will skin me alive."

"Is there anything we can do?" Briel asked.

"No," Jessica and Anna answered together before Anna continued. "We will just take our lumps."

Jessica and Briel exchanged numbers. Briel hugged all three of them again. Gabe and Steve did a manly fist bump, while Anna offered her hand to shake. Like her sister Jessica offered him her hand too only instead of shaking it he pulled her into a one armed hug.

"Din rodna är mest bli av ditt vackra ansikte. Du gör din man en mycket lycklig man." Gabe repeated. "It means: _Your blush is most becoming of your beautiful face. You'll make your husband a very happy man._" With a small smile he let Jessica go and turned his smirk to Anna...who began to blush as deeply as her sister. "I see it runs in the family." Both girls melted.

"Man, I've got to learn how to do that." Steve muttered with a small laugh.

"It's a vampire thing." Gabe answered.

"Hmm, it doesn't sound so bad if you're able to do that to a woman. I don't think I would mind."

"Yes you would." Gabe answered as if he were speaking about the weather instead of someone's mortality. His voice wasn't mad or chastising, just matter of fact. "I want to get married, have kids, and grow old with the one you love. That's not a bad life."

"I think you're right." Steve said unconsciously wrapping his arms around Anna."

"Bye!" All three of them said in unison as they turned and walked away. Briel waved after them.

"Come on, let's get in." Shadow said as he nodded to the driver to open the door.

"Do you think Eric and Sera will like them? I really did." Briel asked Zeus and Gabe.

"I think that Sera will get along with them great. She loves kids." Zeus said. "Eric may be a little more stand offish but I don't believe he would object to them."

"Where to sir?" The driver asked as the dividing partition came down.

"Take us a little closer to the main part of the strip." Shadow ordered. The driver nodded and rolled the partition back then started down the strip.

"Is there anything that either of you want to see in particular?"

"A show." Briel answered promptly.

"I'm not really picky. I just enjoy being among the masses." Shadow said. Briel and Gabe looked at him with a studious eye. Zeus was the most serious of their little group. Even Odin, who could be stoic had more of a tendency to laugh was more that Zeus. So when he did laugh at something they always took notice.

"Don't look at me like that." Zeus said as he rolled his eyes exasperatedly at them. "I have a sense of humor, it's not my fault you all are not funny." He seemed to be reading them like a book. "I do enjoy being among the humans. Feeling what they feel as they feel it. Feeling the turn of the earth under my feet. Feeling the pressure of gravity on my shoulders as it tries to hold me down to the Earth. Humanity has it's very pleasant up sides."

"Alright then." Gabe said with a small smile. Just when he thought he knew his brother he says something that blows him completely away. The car began to slow and then stop. The next moment the driver was at the door.

They got out to see that they were standing at what seemed to be the beginning of the madness that can only describe the Vegas strip. It was after midnight so it was pulsing with life and people were going in every direction as signs lit up the night sky almost as well as the sun. They barely made it past the Palazzo when they felt them.

_'We are coming to you.'_She thought to them. Gabe, Briel, and Shadow didn't break stride, though they did exchange looks to each other. They could feel that the others were close and closing in fast on their location. That's when Briel saw it...their next destination.

TBC

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A/N: First seeing as how this chapter was supposed to be longer I thought you deserved a little spoiler. If you don't want to know whats coming up then skip the my second point. Alright. All you blood thirsty and violent readers sharpen your stakes and polish your silver. Eric is back and is in full effect. It's time that Victor was dealt with. I repeat, the _judgement_of Victor is eminent! I want to know what your twisted minds can come up with. When you review add in the torture you think is best fitting Victor and I will list the top three on the next chapter. Those top three will get their choice of a sneak peak OR one question answered by me. No matter what that question is I will answer it. So if there's a question you want to know...like where Barry is or where Amelia is then now is the time. THERE ARE NO LIMITS TO THE QUESTIONS. I do have to say however that I will NOT broadcast the answer to the question to the other readers (sorry), it's for the winner only. So shake the cobwebs out of your twisted minds and let it rip! ALERT--ALL TORTURES HAVE TO BE SENT IN A REVIEW TO HAVE A CHANCE AT WINNING.

Secondly, my birthday is here and I've decided to give a gift that keeps on giving...a Eric and Sookie lemon flavored birthday one shot. So put me on author alert so you wont be left out. Yes August 18th is my birthday and I thought that this way it would be like we were celebrating together.

Thank you all for all of the support. As always don't hesitate to ask questions, I would happily give explanations to anything needed as long as it doesn't give away the end of my story. I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter, stay tuned and remember. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!


	30. Chapter 30

A/N: Okay everyone I would like to thank everyone for their reviews and ideas for Victor. I chose these three for three very different reasons, though I loved all the entries posted.

jdcoke I chose this one because it was absolutely horrible. Just reading it made me shudder. I also liked the fact that it was so versatile. No additives in the tar for humans, add silver for vampires, or add iron for fairys. This is just cruel and unusual. Mamav I chose this one because the idea of cutting out Victors tongue is something that I have wanted to forEVER...every since the first time we met him. smfogleman I chose this one because the part about the bomb made me laugh but mainly because seeing how long a vampire would be able to withstand Eric and Sookie's lightning strikes was one of the first ideas that I had for Victor.

Unfortunately all three of them asked questions that have answers I can't share now but are revealed within the next two or so chapters. Their questions are posted at the end of this chapter. With this said I will shut up and let you all get on with the story. Enjoy.

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"What are we looking at?" Freyja asked as she and Odin landed right behind their brothers and sister. No one even noticed something odd had happened a few yards from them. They kept going on obliviously with their same actions as before.

"Your sister wants to go to that show." Zeus answered.

"Don't think I didn't notice that 'your sister'." Briel added as Freyja and Odin looked at the sign.

"Why do you want to go to a mystery show?" Odin asked. "Would it not be better to go to a show that advertises the act?"

"Oh come on and live a bit!" Briel said. "When on Earth...."

"Okay okay fine." Gabe interrupted. "My better mind agrees with Odin but I will indulge you."

"Of course you will." Freyja said as she rolled her eyes at her brother. "You always listen to her, how can you not?"

"Though this time you cannot blame her...she is after all you." Odin said.

"Come on already!" Briel said grabbing Odin's hand in one and Zeus's in the other and pulled them into the building, leaving Gabe and Freyja to shrug and trail behind the trio.

There was a line but they walked straight to the front. There were two bouncers at the door, one with a clip board and metal detector, the other standing on the door opposite the crowd looking completely bored. They both were dressed in solid black but one was a vampire and the other was human.

"Northman." Zeus said, addressing the vampire.

Even though he was not the one spoken to, the human checked his list for the name. As he suspected it was not on there. "Your name is not on the list, you will have to wait in line like everyone else." He had seen many like them before, pretending to be more than what they were just to get into the best shows. He knew that they were vampires but that was not a guaranteed all access pass and no one got through without his say so. The way they completely ignored him and spoke to the freaking vampire like he didn't matter was not a good way to try and get in.

They didn't move nor did they acknowledge the human's words. At the sound of _Northman_ the vampire bouncer's head snapped towards their group taking each one of them in. When his tense gaze fell on Gabe he fell to his knee with his head down, wishing his idiot human coworker would just shut the fuck up before he got them both drained.

"Your Majesties," He said in a reverent voice. "Welcome, please come in. We are honored to have your presence here tonight."

Gabe nodded.

"But Kyle we can just let _anyone_ in here." The human protested, with some of the other humans in line agreeing with him. "Not even your friends. They at the very least have to pay."

The vampire bouncer-Kyle-growled harshly at his human counterpart. "Shut up you fool!" He snarled before turning back to they royal group before him. "My apologies; please enjoy the show." He stayed bent legged with a bowed head as his masters passed him. The second after they disappeared into the building Kyle had his coworker pinned to the side of the building with one hand. "You fucking fool of a blood sack. Don't you _ever_ contradict my word! You have no idea who they were, or how close to death you've placed us both!"

"Yo Kyle take it easy man." He choked, trying and failing to loosen Kyle's grasp around his neck. He didn't understand why Kyle was reacting the way that he was. Obviously, if his friends couldn't get in then why should Kyle's? Just because he was a vampire didn't make him special. Fortunately he had enough self preservation to not speak these words.

"I will say this once and only once." Kyle said, taking pleasure in the blue hue that was slowly taking place around this idiot's mouth. "There is shit that is way above your head. If I say to let someone in then you fucking let them in, case closed. If you ever cause me embarrassment like that again I will drain you on the spot, and I don't give a fuck who is around! Do we have an understanding?" He couldn't speak but Kyle took the gurgling noise coming from his throat as a yes and he put him down. It didn't matter anyway. He would drain him before sunrise. He got his walkie talkie and alerted the staff that they had some vampire VIP's that should be given the diamond treatment all the while formulating his plan.

A redheaded human walked in Briel's path, cutting them off with a perky smile. "Good evening. I am Mikayla, the assistant manager of this establishment. I have a table set up for you and a bottle of Royalty will be delivered to you shortly."

"Some of us are not vampires." Briel spoke up.

"Of course ma'am. Our best wine or champagne will be sent also if you would just tell me what you would prefer."

"I think I will go with champagne." Briel said thoughtfully.

"Very well ma'am." She said beaming at the whole group. "If you all would just follow me I will show you to the owners table."

"Is the owner in tonight?" Odin asked.

"No sir." Mikayla answered promptly as she weaved them through the tables to a small elevated section. "But it's always blocked off for VIP's just in case." She motioned for them to sit which they did. "You are lucky, tonight is opening night."

"What's the show?" Briel asked.

"Unfortunately the shows are rotating and even I do not know what it is tonight. It's part of the appeal of this place, you never know what you're going to see. The bookings and things of that nature are handled strictly by the manager, who is out with an emergency at home."

"This should be good." Freyja said dryly.

Mikayla smiled at them again. "If you will excuse me I will send a waitress over with your drinks. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, thank you." Zeus replied.

They all looked around this way and that taking in the theater. Instead of rows and rows of seats there were tables for two or four people in perfect lines. Each table had a wooden top with a small tea candles in sets of three on them. The lighting was dim, as if it were lit by pure candle light instead of by dampened fluorescents. There were big light fixtures on the wall that were covered to make them look like massive candles, and even their glow added to the relaxing mood of the room. The stage sat massively, centered between the tables, though it almost took up the whole wall. Stretched across it was an imposing navy curtain that swayed lightly with the movement behind it.

Zeus reached out to the back of the curtain to see what kind of show they were dealing with but came up empty. No one was thinking about the show but their individual parts within it. They were focusing on seams that tore that they didn't have time to fix or dance steps they were scared they were going to forget or lyrics that they suddenly couldn't remember. Frustrated he pulled his mind back and waited. He watched as Gabe looked at the fluttering navy curtain with his head slightly bent to the side, studying it.

"Been there, done that brother." Zeus laughed as Gabe turned a questioning eye on him. "It's a waste of time, we are just going to have to wait and see what we've been drug into."

Gabe rolled is eyes but stopped trying to listen to the performers minds...he hadn't gotten anything either. In that moment a waitress walked over to their table with a tray full of glasses, a bottle of blood, and a bottle of champagne. When she had it all situated she asked if there was anything else that she could get for them but they told her no. She informed them that she was especially assigned to them tonight so if they needed anything to just wave their hand and she would be there.

They had the best view of the theater, seeing as how their table rose above everyone else's. People wondered who they were as hushed tones filled the room. The incoming humans telling the humans that were already inside what had taken place at the front door. Within ten minutes it seemed as if everyone knew that tonight was most likely the last night for the human bouncer...except for the human bouncer that is.

Odin, Gabe, Freyja, and Briel tried to relax and enjoy the excitement of the crowd while Zeus kept a vigilant eye. From time to time he would speak or respond to the security that had melted into the crowd and around the building. All too soon the glowing lights began to dim three times in rapid succession, signaling the beginning of the show. The curtain opened slightly and a man stepped out. He wore dark brown shoes, tan pants with a light purple printed vest. A deep purple jacket hung open over the vest and a large hunter green bow tie topped it off. He had long blond hair that hung to his shoulders with a symmetrical but easily forgettable face, in fact if it wasn't for the odd way he was dressed he would be easily dismissed. This man in funny clothes topped off his eccentric outfit with a silk chocolate top hat and a wooden cane with a silver handle. Briel sat forward to get a better look at the odd man and despite her reluctance Freyja did the same.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen." He said in a soft baritone voice. His eyes were bright blue and twinkled at them all. They would have wanted a closer look and dipped into his mind, but none of the angels wanted to. They all wanted to genuinely watch the show, just like the rest of the crowd. "Tonight will be a special presentation. I am Willie Wanker and this is my chocolate factory. Don't count me out, this is not what you think, this is a completely new creation. Sit back, and relax and let me show you around my imagination."

With that all the lights went out and a spot light came on and he began singing in a smooth and enchanting voice as if he was trying to draw everyone into him. People shifted forward, trying to catch every word as his voice rolled over them in soft waves.

_"Come with me  
And you'll be  
In a world of  
Pure imagination  
Take a look  
And you'll see  
Into your imagination_The navy curtains behind him opened revealing a stage decorated like a candy land. A woman in a red long sleeved mini dress walked out stage left. Her hair was a strawberry blond and her dress had a white collar and white cuffs. She also wore white stockings that came mid way up her thigh with black patent leather Mary Jane heels four inches tall. She twirled slowly towards where Willie Wanker was standing and singing, slowly dancing around him.

We'll begin  
With a spin  
Traveling in  
The world of my creation  
What we'll see  
Will defy  
Explanation"

_"If you want to view paradise  
Simply look around and view it  
Anything you want to, do it  
Wanta change the world?  
There's nothing  
To it"_

From the right side of the stage another woman begins to dance her way to the other two. She is clad in a blue collared shirt that came barely to her thigh, with a thick red belt. Her legs were given texture with diamond shaped fishnets, and given height with her four inch heels. When she reached the center where the other two were the two women circled Willie Wanker bumping and grinding on him.

_"There is no  
Life I know  
To compare with  
Pure imagination  
Living there  
You'll be free  
If you truly wish to be"_

Willie moved out the way and the two women began grinding on each other. Three men came out and dancing their way towards the still grinding women as Willie moved to center stage, dancing around in his world of imagination. The first guy to reach the girls wore white leather pants with a yellow vest. He had a blue bandanna tied around his neck and a white cowboy hat covering his short brown wavy locks. He grabbed the dancer in the red dress, pulling her against his body and grinding his hips into her backside. She leaned into him and they twirled away from the others, grinding and caressing and stroking.

_"If you want to view paradise  
Simply look around and view it  
Anything you want to, do it  
Wanta change the world?  
There's nothing  
To it_

There is no  
Life I know  
To compare with  
Pure imagination  
Living there  
You'll be free  
If you truly  
Wish to be"

As the song ended the other two guys, one in a skin tight navy turtle neck with black jeans and leather boots and the other in a Chippendale's style collar and cuffs with black leather pants and black biker boots, sandwiched the dancer in the blue dress between them. Her back leaned on the cowboy as the Chippendales dancer hitched her left leg over his hip. They ground and swayed to the music as Willie Wanker danced from one group to the other. They looked out to the audience knowingly like they were his puppets and he were pulling the strings. When the music died down from his song and creepy dance, he broke away from the group of three-the cowboy the blue dressed dancer and the Chippendales dancer- and he ran back to center stage and jumped high into the air. He came down with a thunderous clap to the stage, striking a dramatic pose.

"Um okay, I am angel enough to admit when I have made a mistake." Briel said as she looked on stage. "I think we should get out of here now."

"I agree with you." Freyja said. "I don't know what's gotten into these humans but I do _not_ want to see how this ends."

"When on earth you should do as the humans do?" Odin said imitating Briel. Zeus was shaking with silent laughter, as was Gabe, and when their eyes met their laughter became not so silent.

"Okay I was wrong." Briel said. "I know it, you know it, everyone knows it."

"I guess there was a reason this was kept such a secret from everyone." Odin mused as he looked at Willie Wanker who was now stomping loudly on the stage in measured beats.

"Can we just go already?" Freyja asked the table in general. It really didn't matter if they agreed or not because she wasn't going to stay.

"Chill out Freyja." Gabe said. "So it's a little dirty dancing, how much worse can it get?"

Briel groaned dramatically. "I cannot believe that you just said that!"

"What?" Zeus asked before Gabe could.

"Seriously, do you guys pay _any_ attention to the humans?" She asked looking frustratingly at their blank faces. "You _never_ ask how much worse it can get because it will _always_ get infinitely worse!"

As if to prove her point Willie Wanker lifted his cane in the air and a medium paced beat began that matching the pace he had set with his foot. Then out of nowhere and everywhere male voices began to sing in unison.

_"Oompa Loompa doompadee doo  
I've got another puzzle for you  
Oompa Loompa doompadah dee  
If you are wise you'll listen to me"_

Suddenly the stage began filling up with orange little people with bright green hair swirled in every direction. They wore white leather overalls with no shirts over their orange torsos. The straps of the overalls crossed in both the center of the chest and the center of the back. Soon the stage was full but more little oompa loompas were coming from all directions standing between the rows of tables in the audience.

_"What do you get from a glut of TV?  
A pain in the neck and an IQ of three  
Why don't you try simply reading a book?  
Or could you just not bear to look?_

You'll get no  
You'll get no  
You'll get no  
You'll get no  
You'll get no commercials"

The oompa loompas and the dancers began dancing in unison, thrusting their hips and twirling their bodies. Willie Wanker strolled through them with his staff held high as if he were leading a band. They gyrated and turned this way and that while Willie Wanker shed his coat sending it out into the audience, smiling sexily at the woman who jumped to catch it. None of them ever missed a beat as the base rumbled and the oompa loompa's sang.

_"Oompa Loompa Doompadee Dah  
If you're not greedy you will go far  
You will live in happiness too  
Like the Oompa  
Oompa Loompa doompadee do"_

As the last word was spoken of their song everyone froze, everyone except Mr. Wanker. He marched grandly through the dancers both oompa loompas and non oompa loompas alike, making a show of unbuttoning his vest while twirling his cane.

"I am out of here; you all can catch back up to me later." Freyja said. Briel stood with her but Odin and Gabe pulled them back into their seats.

"We will not split up." Gabe said as he held a squirming Briel in his arms.

"We came as one we will leave as one." Odin added as he tried to restrain Freyja.

Before anyone could comment further or make another retort. Music was suddenly blaring through the theater and all the oompa loompas began shaking their asses like their lives depended on it. The cowboy, Chippendale dancer, Mr. Turtleneck, the red and blue female dancers danced their way off opposite ends of the stage but soon reappeared though they were not empty handed. They carried buckets of what looked like chocolate syrup. If that wasn't bad enough the oompa loompas began unbuttoning one side of their white leather overalls, dramatically throwing the strap over their shoulder before doing the same with the other.

Freyja and Briel broke from the stunned Odin and Gabe and bolted from the club, they knew that the only reason they were allowed to go was because stripping little orange men stripping was not exactly what they thought was coming. They ran as fast as they could in what they considered a human pace and they were soon into the night...and completely surrounded by security.

"Are you okay You Majesty?" One asked as they all kept moving, now even faster, down the street and into more Vegas lights. "Do you want us to bring the car around?"

"No we are fine." Briel answered. She could see from Gabe's view that the guys had stayed a heartbeat longer than they had, long enough for the orange oompa loompas to rip away their pants revealing bikini briefs that left nothing to the imagination...not that there was a lot to imagine in the first place. "Eric and the others are right behind us."

The security guard regarded her and Freyja at the same time, noting that they had not slowed their pace. He was about to press the issue when Shadow's (Zeus) voice sounded in his ear telling him that they were within sight and saying it was okay if they all went back to their positions, melting into the surroundings. In the next moment Briel and Freyja were alone. They slowed their pace to something more sensible because the further they walked the more crowded the sidewalks got. By the time Zeus, Gabe and Odin caught back up with them they were rubbing against almost everyone in their path.

"Frey-"Odin began but was cut off when he slammed smack dab into a throng of Amazon tall women. Three of them hit the ground with Odin twisted between their bodies. He could have kept from falling but that would have been too suspicious. "Sorry, are you all alright?" He asked as the Amazons who managed to remain upright helped them to their feet.

"You know if you wanted to hit on me you didn't need to slam into me to get it done." One said. She was about six foot three with a short blond bob. Her voice was deep and playful as a devious smile crossed her lips. Odin quirked his head to the side as he dipped into the Amazon stranger's mind to find that she wasn't a she at all. They were all drag queens.

"Yeah you're right but what kind of interesting story would that make for our friends when they ask us how we met?" Odin replied as if he were really contemplating what he would say. Amusement washed off of all the drag queen amazons with Odin's playful response. It didn't take an angel to see how much violence and meanness they had been met with over the years. It was refreshing to bump into someone that was at ease with themselves in this day and time.

"I'm sure we could come up with something." He...she...they smiled at Odin.

"Destiny damn, are you going to be rude or are you going to introduce yourself to this fine gentleman and his...cohorts?" Another drag queen said. This one was the same height as Odin appeared to be with long strawberry red hair, chestnut skin and flawless make up. "I apologize for her, I'm Cheyanne. It's nice to meet you all."

"Bill." Odin said, intentionally neglecting to introduce the rest of the group. "Cheyanne, Destiny it's very good to make your acquaintances though hopefully next time will be less...obtrusive."

All the drag queens fawned over the beautiful stranger. His dark eyes and dark hair made him look mysterious, while the small smirk that played on his lips drew them in further. Their straightdar was going off on all of them so they knew he wasn't playing for their team but that didn't mean that a queen couldn't flirt did it?

"You can count on it." Destiny replied. "We would love to stay and chat but we hear that a new show is starting at The Blank and we're late."

"The Blank?" Freyja asked.

"Oh yes honey." Cheyanne said. "There's no sign or anything that distinguishes it. It's a kind of theater slash club where they draw in some hot acts. It's one of the biggest tickets in Vegas."

"My best friend Liza's company was contracted for the week to put on her adult musical." Destiny cut back in. "It's all hush hush but since the curtain is already up I can tell you that she's playing the adult version of that bratty girl in the red dress from the movie _Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory_."

The angels all shared a look and quickly looked away, trying to keep from laughing. "Well we won't keep you then." Odin managed after a deep breath. "Enjoy the show...I hear it's unforgettable."

"All that and more." Cheyanne said already taking a step away with the rest of their group.

"Mr. Bill," Destiny said nodding to Odin and imitating his southern accent. "Everybody." She pretended to tip her imaginary hat at them and then followed the rest of her group to the show they just left.

They stood there like a boulder in the middle of a rushing river, splitting it around them as they stood unmoving. They were all staring at each other but none would meet the others eyes. How could they? First they had an awesome time riding roller coaster rides and enjoying the sights and sounds and feelings of their own, plus of those around them. Then Briel forces them to see what turns out to be a midget stripper show with a Willy Wonka pimp-like character. Now they topped it all off with Odin getting tripped up and hit on by drag queens.... Their hold on their composure was seriously straining and if even one of them gave in the whole gig would be up.

A feeling of calm and peace spread through Gabe and Briel and they closed their eyes and turned their heads towards the heavens. It was time to go back. It was time to reawaken their brother and sister. Their time had come to an end.

"Zeus, call for the car." Gabe said. With a knowing look Zeus did what he was asked and they moved to the corner just as the limo appeared from virtually no where.

They all climbed in...still avoiding each others eyes because no one wanted to be the first to break. It turns out however that it didn't matter because they all cracked anyway...they were weak.

*******************

Amusement flowed through their bond filling them both to the brim but they were staying strong. Sookie could feel Eric's frame trembling behind her as he tried not to be the first one to laugh. It was not lost on Sookie that Eric was probably having a harder time then he normally would without her unruly human feelings adding to his sharp vampire feelings. The angels could see how their brother and sister were shaking with the stress of trying to keep from laughing. Knowing that they themselves were unable to keep it in made it seem all that more impossible for them.  
Sookie was the first to break. Her laughter filled the air but it was not alone for very long because soon Eric and the rest were laughing with her. It was all of it: the amusement that they could feel and the impossibility of what happened to them. Surely what were the odds of angels coming to earth with the opportunity to experience it like the other earthlings only to end up at a midget strip show and to be hit on by drag queens? Un-freaking-believable.

Since they were back to the present time, the angels dropped their hands and moved away from Eric and Sera. Instantly the multiple screens disappeared from their sight and they were left in the opulent room with their usual vision. With one final squeeze to their shoulders, Gabriel let go of Eric and Sookie's shoulders and stepped back until he was no longer within either of their enclosures. Eventual Eric and Sookie sobered and began to think.

"There is much you still have to contend with." Gabriel said looking at them both. "It is important to remember that neither of you are alone. As you now know Sera, we're your guardians. We are here to help you with anything you may need."

"Thank you." Sookie and Eric said in unison.

"Freyja has been assigned to you Eric for a long while." Gabriel said. "But as you both can see, there's always a plethora of volunteers to help."

"We appreciate all of you." Eric and Sookie spoke again. Gabriel was thrilled that they were still speaking in the plural. Even when they were gone he'd have to keep an eye on them to see how long it will last. "Is there anything else we need to know?"

"No, you're up to date. I would recommend that you place a guard on Bill. I doubt that he would accept someone by his side but you may want to put someone on him to watch him from afar."

"That's exactly what we were thinking." They said.

Gabriel closed his eyes as he was being called by his commander. It was time. "We must go to Michael now."

"When will we see you again?" They asked. Though the words were spoken by both of them, Gabriel knew that it these were Sera's words and not Eric's.

"This is your journey Sera. We have to step back and allow things to take their natural course...however you choose." Her expression didn't change but he could see a spark of sadness cross her eyes and he didn't like it. "Don't worry sister, now that we are allowed to see you, you will never have a chance to miss us."

One by one they stepped closer and hugged Sera and saluted Eric, though Freyja spared a hug for them both. Gabriel walked over to Bill's coffin and Zeus took Pam's. In the same moment both were encased in a brilliant white light, unlike them however, Bill and Pam remained in their coffins and were not lifted out. Eric and Sookie could feel the consciousness of Bill and Pam return to them. The next moment the lights dimmed and went out.

"Until we meet again." Gabriel said and the other angels nodded to them. Then Gabriel said something in a language neither of them knew, the language of the Archangels. They tilted their heads to the side in question as Eric, and therefore Sookie, ran through every language-both modern and ancient-he knew. He came up with nothing and Gabriel smiled at them. "You don't know it now but you will. It is a part of us who have been by His side longest; not even the other angels speak it. It will become familiar to you." He spoke again shortly in the strange language and then all but one disappeared.

"I have something for you." Zeus said. He held his trident out before him and it glowed a brilliant gold that would have given Eric's enclosure a run for its money. The rod of the trident split creating an exact replica. Even when his trident stopped glowing the replica continued to glow. He plucked it from the air as it glowed in his hand and held it out to Eric. "Place this in your bedroom."

As soon as Eric touched it, the rod stopped glowing. He turned it over in his hands, examining the intricate pattern engraved into the rod. It was gold and there were ancient symbols that they assumed was more language of the angels because he didn't recognize it at all. Sookie turned to him and began to examine the rod also.

"It will act as a lightning rod for your strikes." He smiled wryly. "It should keep the destruction to a minimum. If you need more than one just break this one, this original, in half, the pieces will regenerate until they are full sized. Move the piece you broke off anywhere you need it to be, but keep this original one close to you."

"How close do we need to keep it?" They asked.

"You will know." Zeus stepped away from them. "Until we meet again." He said with a nod. Lightning struck from no where and with a loud boom Zeus left.

_'Wow, he certainly knows how to leave in style.'_Sookie thought as she took the rod from Eric to look at it closer. The markings looked familiar to her but it was like seeing a face you knew but couldn't place.

_'Don't think on it Lover, it will come to you.'_ Eric thought back to her.

There was a stirring from Pam's coffin, she was remembering the last moments before Gabriel sedated her. She would have been on full alert but her awakening was so calm that it made her relaxed. "Master, Mistress." Pam said as she raised the lid of her coffin, sitting up. She looked around to see that it was only them. "What happened to the impostor?"

"Gabriel fought him and he fled." Eric and Sookie said. "We have much to talk about child."

Pam looked from one to the other in confusion as to why they were speaking at the same time. She stood and walked closer to them. They were standing with the same posture, the same expression, hell they were even blinking at the same time. Either she had gained another Eric or a second Sookie; she wasn't sure which was worse. At the moment that was irrelevant. She knew that look and that tone and she bowed her head to her masters respectfully, waiting on them to speak.

Before anyone could say anything else Bill's casket opened and he sat up, looking around. "Where are we? This it not the room we went to rest in. "His voice was calm and without inflection and something in it was cold and hard. All the warmth that Sookie had come to know in their relationship had evaporated.

"We are in a new hotel, the Mirage Hotel." They told him.

Bill climbed out of his coffin and stood in front of Eric and Sookie. "Why the hell are the two of you talking in unison?"

Eric and Sookie regarded each other for a moment as several thoughts transmitted between them and they finally landed on one they both agreed upon. "It is the strength of our bond."

"Will it last?" Pam asked before she could help herself.

"No," They spoke again. "It is already dissipating." As they said the words they knew they were right. Sookie was focused on Bill. She was worrying about what effects he would show and what he may now be capable of...Eric could care less. He didn't lie when he told Bill that it was Sookie's will that kept him alive.

At the moment the last thing that Bill wanted was to watch even more evidence that Eric and Sookie was meant for each other. Without a word he walked to the door.

"Be back in two hours. School will be in session and we want a united front from our Louisiana group." They said as Bill turned the knob to the door. He looked back at them but he didn't speak. They tried to read him but it was murky, not as clear as the other hundreds of voices that they were actively tuning out. It was more moody than it was actual words, and Bill was not in a nice place. He didn't reply, but with a jerky nod he was out the door. Eric dipped into the mind of the head of security who was in the sitting area still. _'This is King Northman, have a man follow Bill without him being seen. It's imperative that Bill doesn't know he's being watched.'_ He thought to him. They could see that he was stunned at the voice, but he obeyed anyway. He decided to confirm with them later but thought it was better to be safe than sorry. Smart man.

"You are mad at me." Pam said. It wasn't a question but a statement. The tone of his words, even blended with Sookie's voice, told her that much.

"Yes, Pamela we are." They replied. "You were foolish and reckless. You fought against someone who was more powerful than you, just to defend us. You listened to a more powerful ally and stayed in our enclosure to ensure your own safety. You were not brave as we taught you to be and you will be punished for your treachery; and we have already decided your punishment." Pam didn't speak but kept her head bowed. "As we told Bill school will be in session and you Pamela will be our teacher's assistant.

Pam's head snapped up. This couldn't be right, there had to be something more. They haven't had a schooling session in...well over a century. Surely he was mistaken. She wanted to ask but she didn't dare. She was a good child and she knew better than to question her maker's will...especially when his voice was as severe as it was now.

"Call Sandy, ask her to help you find a place to setup. You know what I like to have. I expect it to be done within the next hour."

"Yes, Master." Pam said as she moved to the door. She opened it then closed it again. "What subject will we be studying tonight?"

"Gross anatomy." They replied.

"As you wish." She said with a bow of her head before she disappeared out of the door.

_'Okay, we need to organize.'_Eric thought to Sookie._ 'Tomorrow Sandy will arrive with all of our paperwork that has come back so far that will need out attention. Plus we have cases that we will have to preside over. Vampires in our retinue will come and offer us fealty. This will most likely take up our whole night. Are you coming tonight?'_

Sookie looked at him questioningly until pictures of what he had in mind played like a macabre movie. She shivered in disgust and shook her head violently. _'As close as we are, I don't think that that would ever be something I would willingly attend.'_

_'I didn't think so.'_ Eric smiled at her. _'What will you do tonight?' _

_'I was thinking I would check on Ethan. Maybe call Sandy and get numbers for those that were injured so that I could look in on them too. I don't know, but I know I don't want to go with you. I will find something, so don't worry.'_

_'Okay, if you're sure.'_ Eric said. _'I think that we both should get cleaned up some. Why don't you go on and take a shower and get dressed. You may actually want to, I don't know, look at the accommodations that we have. I promise to return before sun up.'_

_'Okay.'_ She replied. _'Will you be here when I get out?'_

_'Of course my love. I have a few phone calls to make before I go.' _He thought to her, and then smirked deviously. _'Though trust me when I say I would much rather join you and break in the staff Zeus gave us."_

_'You are so bad.'_Sookie thought with a sly smile.

_'And you love every minute of it.'_ Eric replied and took a step closer to her.

_'Enough said.' _Sookie laughed mentally as she held the staff high to hinder Eric's progress in closing what little distance there was between them. _'If you don't join me now, then that will give you an incentive to get back here sooner rather than later.'_

_'You know I don't have to sleep during the day. We can stay up all day long....'_ He trailed of suggestively.

_'Oh no, I don't think so.'_Sookie said as she began to back up in the direction she thought the bathroom was at. _'We need to observe our usual sleeping patterns. We can't risk being out of commission again. Sun up is your cut off...then again I do need to sleep so maybe before that.'_

"Tease." Eric said out loud.

"And you love every minute of it." Sookie replied and dashed into the bathroom, locking the door behind her as if it could actually stop Eric from getting in. She realized, as she looked around the opulent bathroom that she couldn't touch anything in her powered up state. She closed her eyes and concentrated on her bond. She forced her energy inside. It was hard because she was fully refreshed and her energy didn't want to be bound within the bond. It too was locked away for days and wanted to be free, but Sookie's need for a shower outweighed the need to let her energy flow. When it was securely encased Sookie made sure to close the bond around it, then began shedding her clothes.

Eric felt Sookie power down. He didn't want to just yet, he decided to let his power flow and be free. He hadn't realized how attached to the feeling he was until then; besides he needed to get better at touching things without destroying them while he was powered up. He decided to make a few calls while Sookie took her shower. He called Sandy first.

"This is Sandy." She answered.

"Has Pam called you yet?" He inquired.

"Yes sir." She replied. "I am on my way to meet her now."

"Excellent I will require two white sets of surgical scrubs, one in my size the other in Pam's." Eric told her. "Also are any of the Nevada Sheriffs in town?"

"Yes sir, they all are actually. They've come to give you fealty."

"Good I want them present tonight; and if they brought their second, I want them there too. Other than that leave spaces for yourself, Bill Compton, and Stan's retinue. I want the word to be spread among my kingdom."

"Consider it done sir. Is there anything else?"

"We will be ready for you an hour after sundown. Will that be a problem?"

"No sir. I will be ready."

Sandy and Pam were set so he called Stan next.

"Joseph." A deep voice answered.

"This is Eric. I require Stan's presence if he is free in a hour and forty minutes."

"What is this regarding." Joseph asked.

"Tonight we brush up on a few basics." Eric replied cryptically. "It's something that I know he won't want to miss."

"Understood." Joseph replied. "I will see if his majesty is available."

"You do that." Eric said before he hung up the phone.

Pam and Sandy setting everything up...check.

Not giving two shits about where ever the hell Bill decided to go...check.

Sookie naked and wet and hot by her self in a steamy shower...check...fuck.... Oh well it will be worth it to leave her alone now in order to ravage her later.

Everything seemed to be in place and he still had some major time to kill. When in doubt, mental warfare is always a good choice. So he relaxed his mind and closed his eyes. Seeing what he was thinking he could feel Sookie throwing up a mental block to him, effectively cutting off their mental connection. He wasn't surprised. He let his mind reach out, catching the mind of the head of his security. He jumped from one guards mind to another until he reached one who was guarding Victor. He was on the inside by the door watching a deceitfully lifeless corpse that belonged to Victor. With immense pleasure he jumped into the mind of his enemy. Eric said the six words that he had been dying (haha) to say since the night of the take over when Victor threatened Sookie's life and killed those that Eric had tried to protect.

_I'm coming for you tonight Victor._

_TBC_

_***********************_

A/N: As always I am happy to give any explanations or answer any questions needed, just send a PM. I would like to thank the three winners for their ideas and for their questions. They each got one question to ask me about my story and here are their questions.

JDCOKE: I would like to know how/who took Barry and where he is.

SMFOGLEMAN:Of course I have my question! Who/What will Sookie use her gift from Michael  
for & when?

MAMAV: What happens to Bill?

Thanks again to everyone for participating. Stay around and see what I've thought up for our dear Victor, and remember that reviews are better that gyrating oompa loompas.


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear in any of the Charlaine Harris books, everyone else is mine.

A/N: Hey everyone, sorry about the long wait. I think that after such a long wait the last thing any of you wants to do is be delayed by my rambling. So enjoy!

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Sookie stood in the opulent shower letting the hot water cascade over her whole body. She and Eric were definitely going to have to try this out. The shower was spacious enough for eight people and had spouts on almost every side spraying water at her relaxed body from multiple directions. It seemed to be made of what she guessed was onyx. The whole bathroom was truly grand. Not in a gaudy sense, but in the sense that it was simple yet expensive...refined. The decor, the layout, the fixtures all screamed simple upscale elegance. Nothing jumped out specifically because everything was top of the line, and it showed everywhere. Just the thought of the possibilities sent a jolt through her whole body.

Though she was cut off mentally from Eric, she could tell from the bond that he was still in the suite. She didn't want to think too much on that for fear that he would sense her desire and they would spend the rest of the night in the shower. Normally it would be appealing to her but she really just wanted to move on with the rest of her life. She wanted to close the door on the horribleness that seemed to have consumed her life lately, and to do that she knew Victor had to die.

She used her hand to wipe the condensation from the mirror and looked at her reflection as she looked within herself too see if there was any regret about what she knew was Victor's fate and she just couldn't find any. She had said, since she came into the supe world, that she was a decent survivor but a bad Christian. The thought of that now made her laugh, partially because of her knowledge of what she truly was and partially because she knew that despite what she was it was still true. She felt nothing of Victor's fast approaching demise, and even less for the vessel in which his demise will come. Since the moment she met Victor she knew he had to die, and every time she thought about how he threatened Eric a small part of her wanted his death to be slow and agonizing...maybe she's gotten too close to Eric.

Sookie shook her head trying to clear her dark thoughts because she really didn't want to think on what was going to take place tonight. She saw a golden glimmer reflected in the moist mirror and she turned towards it. There stood, without support, the staff Zeus gave her and Eric. She turned completely around and slowly walked up to it. The rod really was beautiful and it practically hummed with power, she could feel it pouring off of the staff. It was familiar to her though not a part of herself; it felt like her brother. She reached out and pushed the staff forward, but as soon as she stopped pushing it stilled. Smiling she pushed it forward again, and just like before when she stopped pushing the staff stilled. It still stood even though it was less than a forty-five degree angle.

She picked the rod up in her hand and turned it horizontal then let it go. Expecting it to clang loudly to the floor she stepped backwards but it was unnecessary because the staff floated exactly where she let it go. Sookie threw off her towel and quickly dressed in her pajama's (a black spaghetti strapped shirt with the Fangtasia emblem stamped all over it along with the words "The Bar With Bite" and a pair of black shorts that, barely covered her panties, had a single Fangtasia emblem with the bold red words "Bite Me" written across her ass), all the while watching the staff to see if it would fall but it didn't. She grabbed the staff just as she heard a knock on the outer door. She walked back into the bedroom to see Eric closing the door. He turned with a small pile of folded clothes in his hand.

He didn't need the bond to know that Sookie was curious. "They are scrubs for tonight." He told her. "What's got you so excited?"

"Look!" Sookie said and without preamble she tossed Zeus's rod towards Eric but not hard enough to reach him. It arched gracefully but as it came level to Sookie's hand it stopped in midair and began to float without support. Excitedly Sookie looked up at Eric, who was looking at the floating staff in deep thought.

He shifted his scrubs to one hand as he walked forward and plucked the staff from midair. "Interesting." Eric murmured. He looked so thoughtful that Sookie dropped her shields to listen in on what exactly Eric thought was so interesting. His mind was racing like a runaway freight train. A Swedish runaway freight train. A Swedish runaway freight train without subtitles.

"Care to fill in us English speaking people in on what's so interesting?" Sookie asked.

"Quite a bit so far." Eric replied, finally looking up from the staff. "The main thing so far is the fact that we need to experiment with this rod." She could see a dangerous glint in his eye. "I have a different rod you can practice with first if you want Lover." He wagged his eyebrows suggestively and grinned devilishly at her.

He stepped towards Sookie but before she had the chance to protest, or run, Eric's phone rang. Eric's eyes were so intense that the seemed to hold Sookie in place. "Northman." He answered the phone, barely keeping his voice calm. Pam's voice swirled in his head telling him that everything was in place and letting him know the location of the 'classroom'. He hung up without a parting greeting and took another step towards Sookie.

"Eric, you have to get ready to go." Sookie said. She knew she should move away from him but his eyes still held her captive.

"We have nothing but time." He replied with another step towards her. "And I have a few ideas as to how we can put the time we do have to very, very good use."

"Oh yeah? How's that?" She asked trying to stall. It was useless because the delectable way he was looking at her kept her from stringing together a coherent thought, let alone an escape plan.

He had too much in his hands so he dropped his scrubs and stood the staff on the end with a loud thump. The staff reacted immediately. The bottom disappeared into the floor as a small trident head erupted from the top crashing with a loud thud into the ceiling, securing it to both the floor and ceiling. Eric and Sookie looked at the staff and then at each other, only Sookie's face betrayed the surprise she felt. Eric pushed lightly against the staff, but it didn't move. He pushed a little harder but the staff still didn't move and a small smile touched his lips as he shifted his gaze back to an awed Sookie.

"I think it knows what I had planned." He told her matter of factly. It wasn't until he spoke that Sookie realized that he was three paces closer to her and she hadn't even noticed that he had moved.

Eric looked at her as if she was his prey instead of his wife and he knew what it was doing to her. He couldn't glamour her but it didn't mean that he didn't know exactly how to get what he wanted from her. He knew exactly how to look at her, how to speak to her, how to act in order to get what he wanted and he had no qualms about doing it. Right now he wanted her mouth; her pretty, pouty, warm, wet, skilled mouth to encompass his already hard dick. Just thinking about it made his body react. He looked at her with fire in his eyes and he could feel the weakness in her knees build and he pushed all his lust and desire into their bond, causing her to drop to her knees, chest heaving.

She put a hand on the floor as she concentrated on keeping her wits about her but her breath wouldn't steady. Eric was overwhelming and her skin was hot and tingly. A small detached part of her mind cried out futilely for her to fight it, for her not to give in to this and to cream that smug feeling that flowed into her with Eric's desire and lust. She was not the girl to give in so easily. She's a fighter. She's proud and level headed, most of the time, independent woman. She's Sookie Stackhouse, Archangel and vampire Queen. She's proud, fighting, independent Sookie Stackhouse vampire Queen and Archangel...who was losing this battle of wills with her thousand year old vampire husband.

Eric stepped in front of Sookie and their eyes locked on one another. Sookie's mental shield that she threw up to keep Eric's disturbing thoughts away crumbled faster than a fangbanger spreads her legs in Fangtasia. Eric's fingers wove into Sookie's golden locks as one word sounded in Swedish loud and clear, Min. She didn't need it to be in English to understand and she didn't need to feel the possessive feelings that mixed into everything else he was sending to her.

He could see the silver flecks in her pristine blue eyes spark and spread until they were the purest silver he had ever seen. The scent of her arousal assaulted his senses. He leaned into her as her body called him, completely unable to resist her siren call.

BANG! SMASH! A loud crash echoed from the sitting room and the vibrations of the disturbance rumbled through the floor under Eric and Sookie as they paused, mere inches from each other. They reached out their minds to see if they were in danger only to be met by a thicket of chaos that matched the now shouting voices and more crashes.

"HOLD HIM!"

"FUCK! HE RIPPED OUT JACKSON'S THROAT!"

There was another loud crash.

"DAMMIT JOHNSON DIDN'T I TELL YOU TO HOLD HIM?! ROTH GRAB THE SILVER. GARY, JOSE, ROMAN SECURE THE KING AND QUEENS DOOR!" Eric recognized the ordering voice as belonging to the head of security.

Both Eric and Sookie dipped into his mind to find where the attack was coming from. Sookie gasped and Eric stilled as they saw the pale features, dark hair, and dark eyes of Bill in the head of security's mind. They looked at each other and in the next moment a loud crash came from the other side of the door and they could see in the minds of several of the security guards that one of them was thrown against their door...the one called Roth. Eric was at the door in a vampire second with Sookie hot on his heals. When they opened the door it was complete chaos.

Several vampires were strewn across the massacred sitting room. Bill had gotten his hands on a sword and was fighting two security guards while another tried to angle in with silver chains. Even though the vampire with the silver moved quickly he was still very careful of what he held. The three guards stationed at their door stood in front of Eric like the head of an arrow, their bodies tensed when they heard the door open but they didn't dare look back and drop their defenses.

"Sir, it's not safe." The spear head spoke while keeping a careful eye on Bill. Eric recognized him as Roman, the second in command of his security. "You and the Queen should get back inside and we will come get you when the threat has passed."

"Why are y'all attacking Bill?" Sookie asked as she tried to get by Eric. He wrapped a firm hold around her waist to keep her with him.

"It's not like that ma'am." Roman said. "We didn't start this."

It really didn't matter at this point. Eric just knew that everything had to stop. He would not have more fighting than what's necessary around Sookie. "Stop!" He yelled. His guard's heads perked up at his command but they were both too deep in bloodlust and still trying to defend against Bill whose attack never wavered at his voice to listen. Eric let the power that ebbed and flowed within to course over his whole being. Sookie didn't need to look at him to know that his eyes had changed from blue to solid gold.

Sookie couldn't even recognize Bill as his face contorted with unadulterated hatred. She was so used to his calm and cool exterior, even in the most intense situations. Was this Dragxin? Was this his influence or is this what lies beneath the cool exterior? No. She refused to believe that this was truly Bill. She knew Bill, and this was not it. Bill wasn't adverse to fighting, he was a soldier after all, but he preferred to keep to himself. He loved being on his computer and walking through the woods. Bill was a thinking man and a vampire that liked fitting into his human community. This violent monster was not the vampire she knew, nor was he the man that she fell in love with, and he was most certainly not the man who became one of the core people she had come to count on.

Eric's free hand flew forward and five bolts bent around the arrow head of guards protecting him and Sookie to hit the five vampires that were still fighting or trying to fight in front of them. Each bolt reached its mark squarely in the chest or back of its intended. Each one was lifted off their feet, their muscles clenched and their heads flung back, and all at once they all roared in pain. Then, just as quickly as it began, it was over.

Sookie froze at the sight. She saw how Briel was able to throw lightning bolts without the enclosure but she had no idea that Eric could do it too. Could she? What did it mean? Was he closer to ascending than she was? She looked up to Eric to see a thin golden layer that lay against him like a second skin with golden bolts roaming all over it.

_'It's not just me Lover.' _Eric thought to her, though he kept his eyes on the five fallen vampires that were panting on the floor trying to get their bearings.

Sookie looked down at herself to see that she was standing in an almost perfect mirror image of Eric's stance. She too had a thin silver layer hugging her curves. The only difference was that Eric's right arm was still holding her against him. When had she made the decision to release her enclosure? She hadn't.

_'But I did.' _Eric's mental voice chimed in. _'Maybe the strength of our bond was stronger than perhaps we both thought.' _He paused and replayed what happened and Sookie could see her own hand throwing bolts as well as Eric; two of the five vampires were hit by her silver bolts. But if she didn't know that she did it how come the two she struck fell at the same time as the ones Eric struck? She was about to comment on what she saw but Eric began talking again. _'We don't have time to talk about this right now Sookie. We will talk about it later. Besides, I'm sure we both can use some extra time to think about what's going on.' _

Sookie looked up at him and he nodded towards the struck vampires who were now slowly pulling themselves onto their feet. They looked dazed as they looked around and winced as they moved.

"Now someone tell me just what is going on." Eric said with the full authority of a King. Everyone turned to face Eric and Sookie. The guards that were fighting fell to one knee with their heads bowed, while Bill remained unmoved. The guard assigned to protect him stepped aside, two to Eric's side and one to Sookie's. No one spoke. "Someone better start talking or everyone will get a jolt.

There was a gurgle from the floor by Bill's feet where a vampire's throat had indeed been ripped out. Sookie's stomach rolled but she pushed that aside. She broke Eric's hold on her and ran over to him. His neck was healing but he needed blood. She looked around the room and saw a discreet refrigerator on the far side of the room. As soon as the thought entered her mind, her feet were already moving. She reached for the handle, but it disintegrated as soon as it came into contact with her shield. Her concentration was off. Taking a deep breath she tried to relax her mind so that she could pull her enclosure back within her. Eric flooded her with strength to make it easier for her, though he didn't bother to do the same with his own.

With Eric's help Sookie easily pulled her resistant enclosure back into the bond and she opened up the refrigerator. It was full of equal parts True Blood and medical blood bags. She filled her arms with all the blood bags that were in it and moved back to the still gurgling vampire. His throat was almost done healing so she moved him so that his head and shoulders were propped on her lap. She placed her fingers over the hole that hadn't yet healed in his throat and with her free hand she brought a blood bag to her mouth and used her teeth to rip it open. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth but she tried not to concentrate on it. If Eric's blood was a fine perfectly aged brandy, the human blood in the bag was stagnant water. She quickly placed the bag to the fallen vampire's mouth and he drank greedily.

The hole in his throat was now closed but he was still weak. She ripped open another blood bag and continued to feed him. Three bags later he was able to sit up on his own and drink without her help. She didn't skip a beat leaving two bags with him she quickly moved over to the other fallen vampire.

"Are we going to stare at my wife all night?" Eric asked in a quieter, and yet more dangerous, voice.

"No sir. Sorry sir." The head of security said, tearing his eyes away from the Queen. "I wasn't able to get a full report yet. All I know is that I sent Murphy to trail Mr. Compton. He radioed me 911 that there was a problem that he had to intervene in but he was going to need help bringing Mr. Compton back in. I sent a team to assist. I assume that it was hell the whole way back because they fought all the way up to this room."

"Murphey?" Eric asked. And a vampire to the left of Bill stepped forward. "Come into my room. I want you full report. Bill I want to talk to you too." Murphey went into the bedroom without question but Bill stood his ground.

"Knulla dig!" Bill said in Eric's native tongue. No one saw Eric move. One moment he was standing to the side of the bedroom doorway and the next he was standing behind Bill.

Concentrating on not killing Bill, Eric picked Bill up by the back of his neck. _'Fuck me?!' _He projected to Bill, who struggled in his grip. Out loud Eric was growling but he spoke again in his mind._ 'No Bill, fuck you!' _He threw Bill like a child would throw a baseball through the doorway of the bedroom. He wished he could have just killed Bill on the spot but somehow Sookie wouldn't buy his explanation of an accident.

_'Damn skippy.' _Sookie chimed in, though she didn't look up at him.

Eric rolled his eyes as he walked back over to the door. "Get this mess cleaned up." _'Sookie we will wait until you're done.' _He added mentally.

Sookie acknowledged him but she was concentrating on the vampire in front of her. He had several broken bones and she couldn't tell for sure but she thought that his right leg had been sliced completely off. "Look, we both know that you will heal and that you are in no danger, but I learned from Dr. Ludwig that if your bones are set then they will heal faster because moving back into the right place will be one less thing that they have to do. Do you want me to do this?" He didn't answer, just nodded. She pushed him up so that she could lay his head and shoulders into her lap just like the last vampire and let him feed. She had a stray thought that made her glad she paid attention to Dr. Ludwig's part of the memories the angels provided.

When he got the first bag down she reached for his right arm that had been dislocated from his shoulder and had a broken bone in his forearm, and set it. He didn't scream, not that she expected a big tough vampire to, but let out a low grunt with each bone she set. She moved to his left leg to set the bone in his thigh. She guessed that Bill probably kicked him in his left leg as a distraction because his right leg was barely attached still. He must have been going with the break one leg to distract from slicing off the other method. She didn't lift him back up because she hadn't put any braces on his limbs and he would need to stay still but she did rip open another blood bag and feed it to him.

"Did I miss anything?" She asked. She wasn't a doctor and if anyone could tell her if she'd missed something it would be him.

"Just a few ribs but there's nothing to be done for it my Queen." He replied in a gruff voice.

She fed him two more blood bags before he reach up with his right hand to hold the bag to his mouth. She took it as a sign that she could move on. She left two bags by his head and moved on. There was another vampire that was in the sitting position as he healed. She knelt down to him to check his wounds but he was already healed.

"Is there anything I can do?" She asked as she tried to survey his body through the blood soaked clothing.

"No my Queen." He answered. "I am already healed."

"Here, drink these so that your strength can return." She split the last of her bags with him and clapped him on the shoulder lightly before she stood. She handed out the rest of her blood bags to the others.

"Excuse me." She said as she stood in front of the vampire she knew to be the head of security.

"Yes my Queen?" He answered as he bowed to her.

"Call down to the front desk and have them send someone who can clean this place up. Also we need more blood. Get your men more blood but no donors, not here." Usually she would try to clean up herself but hell it wasn't her mess, it was Bill's, besides being a Queen had to have some perks. Her eyes continued to survey the room as she dipped into the mind of those she knew was injured to see how they were doing. They would definitely need more blood but there was no way she was going to have any "live donors" right outside her bedroom. "Can you replace the injured for the night?"

"Yes, we have the resources your majesty." He confirmed.

"Good, after these men have had some more blood send them home for the night."

"I can complete my post your majesty." The vampire who was already healed by the time she got to him said.

"As can I." The vampire whose bones she set agreed.

"I wouldn't ask you to work after such injuries." Sookie protested. "Go home and rest then return to your post tomorrow night. I know that when I get sliced open the last thing I want to do is work." They looked like they might protest but they kept their mouths closed. They were very smart vampires.

_'Lover we are waiting.' _Eric's voice sounded in Sookie's head.

"If you will excuse me. I will be back to check on everyone later." Everyone bowed to her as she turned to leave...that's still going to take some getting used to.

As Sookie disappeared into the room everyone began moving about to follow her orders. Many of the vampires had worked on many different protection details. Many had worked for several Kings and Queens in their lifetimes but even the good and just royalty never personally tended to their injuries, let alone giving them the rest of the night off to recuperate. Sookie Northman was definitely unlike the standard vampire queen. Then again the standard vampire queen would be, well, a vampire. When Felipe had lost power his personal guard had been switched out and tonight was the first time that a lot of these security vampires got to see the real and powered up Eric and Sookie. How could someone who held so much obvious power be so attentive and caring about vampires that she doesn't even know a thing about? Sookie didn't know it yet, but her caring touch had just made her their first priority.

When Sookie walked back into the master bedroom she could have sworn that it was suddenly colder than she remembered it being when she and Eric had stepped out. She walked quietly to stand next to Eric.

"Now that we are all here, Murphy, tell me what happened." Eric said.

Murphy gave a short nod and launched quickly into his story. "I followed Mr. Compton up and down the strip. He stopped in a few casinos and gambled some. He had dinner, a blond who went on her happy little way afterwards. After that he began just to walk, no place in particular, just roaming where ever the crowds flowed to." At the same time Eric and Sookie dipped into Murphey's mind and they watched what happen unfold as his words described the pictures they saw in his mind.

Murphy was following Bill who seemed to be in his own thoughts as he walked in the crowd. Loud laughter broke out and suddenly Bill was facing a group of drag queens...the very same ones that the Angels had run into earlier that very same night. Sookie didn't feel so well as she tried not to guess what happened next. Eric took her hand and they continued to watch as Murphy continued to talk.

"I see you're back to meet your Destiny." Cheyanne said with a playful smirk. Sookie could see that it wasn't the whole group like the Angels had met earlier; it was just Destiny and Cheyanne together. "I think that I feel a bit left out Mr. Bill." Cheyanne continued with a pout. "Cheyanne needs some southern love too."

"Get out of my face." Bill said, his voice was like ice.

"Aw, what's put our sweet Bill in such a mood?" Destiny wondered out loud. "Do you want me to kiss your hurt and make it feel better?"

Bill growled menacingly, Destiny and Cheyanne looked at him appraisingly. Their eyes grew when they saw his fangs slip out; they hadn't realized that he was a vampire. Behind Bill Murphy began moving forward in the crowd. He didn't know what may happen but it wasn't sounding too good from where he was.

"I didn't hear what was said because in that same moment Bill knocked the one with the blond bob to the ground and he jumped on the other one." Murphy said. "I got to him as fast as I could and I wrestled him away from her. He was hard to hold and the drag queens were still there. I told them to run and they did. I managed to get Bill in a hold and call for backup because we were drawing too much attention to ourselves. I fought and kept him as distracted as I could until reinforcements arrived. We were able to subdue Bill until we got to this floor, he broke free and...well...you know the rest."

"Go back to where Bill attacked the two drag queens and track them down. Bring them to me." Eric commanded.

"But sir, that was on the strip." Murphy objected. "There's too many scents there mingled together, there's no way I can track them down."

Eric didn't reply, he just looked at Murphy with an appraising eye. If his subordinates were questioning him then this wasn't a good sign that they were getting off to a good start. He would have to rectify this...and soon.

Taking in the hostile appraisal in his King's face, Murphy didn't like what he saw. His mind caught up to his hasty words and he hurried to rectify the situation. "I mean of course sire, sorry sire."

"Then what are you still doing here?"

"Already gone." Murphy was gone in a blur.

"Explain Bill." Eric said in the calmest voice he could manage.

"Fuck off Eric." Bill answered.

Eric growled harshly and moved into Bill's face so fast that Bill didn't even see him move. Bill didn't let his surprise show in anything more than his eyes. He didn't gasp, nor did he flinch as Eric appeared before and towered over him.

"I think it's time that you remember who you are talking to." Eric said. His voice was easy and silky and completely deadly. It was a testament to how close to the end of his rope Eric was when it came to Bill, especially sense Eric had more of an explosive temper. "I am your King and you will obey me William Compton. Your life is mine to do with as I please and I suggest you remember that. You have been pushing the edges of my reason for far too long and it will stop now. Now tell me what the fuck got into you this evening and why the hell I shouldn't just rip your heart out now and put myself out of the misery that is you?"

"Let's get this straight." Bill said as if he were reading the newspaper out loud. "You may be a king but you are not my king. I am so fucking sick and tired of you Eric." He sneered Eric's name in an act of defiance of his title and position.

Something dark began pumping through Bill as if he had a heartbeat to spur it on. It strengthened him and it pulled him into his cold rage. He felt as if he was transforming but his body didn't morph. Bill's muscles rippled in his skin as his body prepared for a fight. He had been restraining himself from killing Eric because he knew that it would hurt his Sookie, but no more. Somehow he knew that even with his enclosure Eric was no match for him. Yes, it was time to kill Eric. As long as Eric was alive then the path to Sookie was blocked.

Something told him that Sookie was the key. It wasn't a voice per-say but a feeling. Of course Sookie is key. Sookie is all he ever wanted. Bill couldn't believe that he had ever thought Eric fair. No, Eric needs to be destroyed. There was no way that he would be able to live under Eric's rule as King but there was no way he was leaving. Why should he? Where Sookie was, is where he wanted to be.

_Kill him. Kill him. Kill him. _He'd had this urge many times before but now it was time to give in. _Give in. Kill him. Kill Eric and take what is yours. _Yes, its time to kill Eric.

In a span of a second, Bill had made up his mind. He leaned into Eric so that he was a breath away from Eric's enclosure. "If you want to be put out of your misery I can help with that. As for you killing me...you can try but you will loose."

Bill's words surprised Eric for a moment, but that was all that was needed. Before Eric could twitch in reaction to Bill's words, Bill pivoted back and lunged into Eric's body. Instead of punching him, Bill left his hand open and the heel of his hand connected directly with Eric's sternum. The force of the blow knocked Eric across the room, though he landed on his feet. Well not so much his feet as in a crouch ready to pounce. Challenge given-Challenge accepted...with prejudice. Let the ass kicking begin.

Sookie was stunned that not only did Bill knock Eric across the room, but he did it while Eric was in his enclosure. She turned an appraising eye to Bill and took in everything about him. He was crouched ready to go but more than that...the air around him seemed to move. It reminded her of when she was a kid and she used to watch Gran cook and how when she looked at a burner the air around the flames used to bend the background with some invisible force. It used to mesmerize her and she would pretend that it was magic, like it was something only she could see.

Whatever that was, it's moving around Bill; but it was more than that. Bill shouldn't have been able to hit Eric without losing his hand. She looked at Bill's hand, which was now clawed-ready to shred, and saw a dense blackness around his left hand. It was dissipating now but it was there. What did that mean? Where did that come from? Maybe hitting Eric had hurt him and that black fog, or whatever the hell it was, healed him some way. Sookie was lost in her mind that she barely registered Bill and Eric lunging at one another.

"Stop it!" She yelled. Either they didn't hear her or they were ignoring her, but either way it left her in the same spot. They fought on.

Bill threw furious punches at Eric, but was blocked at every turn. Every time he came in contact with Eric's enclosure he felt an indescribable pain, but every time it was gone just as quickly as it came.

Sookie's assumption was proven right as Bill's hands, knees, feet, and every other part of his body he used in fighting Eric was covered in the black foggy smoke that she had seen the first time. She focused on him and saw his body begin to disintegrate upon contact only to be remade whole again by the foggy blackness.

Eric could honestly say that he had never encountered anything like Bill. It was easy to see that this wasn't the Bill he's known. This Bill fought better than the old Bill ever did. Not only that, there were skills and techniques that he knew for a fact were above Bill's fighting grade. There were combinations that Bill was putting together from different cultures around the world, from different times...times way before Bill. Some of these techniques had died away long ago, he only knew them because he'd lived so long but there was no way for Bill to know them...hell there was no one left to teach some of these things besides himself. What he knew he taught Pam, but he hadn't taught her everything he knew; even if he had, she would have never taught Bill.

If the fact that his fighting knowledge didn't surprise Eric, then what he felt every time his enclosure came into contact with Bill did. A thousand years is a long time to live and it could do a lot to a man, or vampire. Eric could be called a lot of things: heartless, cruel, uncaring, violent, monster, abomination, blood thirsty, greedy, selfish, and probably a million other not so flattering things. As true as those things are about him, however, one thing that has never described him was pure evil. In his thousand plus years, he has come across pure evil a few times; and each time it reiterated the same things over and over for him. Pure evil is good for nothing but destroying as sure as absolute power corrupted absolutely; and as much as he bent the world to his will, there were things worth defending and things worth respecting. Pure evil had no respect.

Every time he blocked Bill or Bill actually landed a punch, Eric could feel the evil trying to grasp him but his shield never faltered. It never wavered and the evil that tried to grab onto him dissolved as surely as everything else that has touched his enclosure uninvited. He saw how each blow, whether it landed or was blocked, injured Bill but was healed by the fog of pure evil that radiated all around him. Between what he knew and what he listened to Sookie observe they had both come to the same conclusion. And fuck was he pissed that he still couldn't fucking kill Bill. Damn!

"Stop this now!" Sookie yelled as she moved in between Eric and Bill.

This, however, was the thing with pure evil, you can't control it. Eric's arm was part way extended in the process of throwing a punch. The back of Bill's hand was sailing vertically through the air in a block of Eric's punch. Eric stopped mid-punch. Bill's mind was muddy but he registered Sookie's presence and position but his arm still swung. He tried to stop himself but he couldn't. He tried to fling himself away, but he couldn't. He tried to redirect where his fist was going...he couldn't. Sookie was turning from Eric, after making sure he wasn't going to throw another punch, to look at Bill. No sooner had her eyes made contact with his, Bill's balled fist struck her.

The feel of pure evil burned her skin as her head snapped to the side, the flesh of her cheek grinded into her teeth cutting under their unforgiving strength. The force of the blow lifted her off her feet and she flew to the side, crashing through the bathroom wall and landing in a heap next to the shower.

She lay there stunned. How was this possible? First he could fight Eric and now this? However, worrying how Bill was doing what he was the least of her worries. Her mouth filled with blood and she swallowed the sweet warm liquid. She knew that if she spit it out that it would attract even more chaos. No, the problem right now was that her body was reacting to the threat...also known as Bill.

She raised her head and she wasn't surprised that her vision was tinted silver. She didn't even feel the transformation but she could see and feel her lightning encrusted enclosure that surrounded her now. Her muscles tensed ready for a battle, and a low rumble emanated from her chest as she stalked back into the bedroom.

Eric's mind reverted back to a place he hadn't been since he was first turned. Blind, explosive fury gripped his very being as he watched in shock as Sookie burst through into the bathroom. He no longer had a sense of self; all he wanted was death and destruction...Bill's death and destruction. His enclosure no longer hugged his body but exploded out a foot in every direction. He roared at Bill harshly and two bolts shot out from his enclosure, hitting Bill squarely in the chest. It wasn't enough for Eric to just kill Bill and that's it. No, he wanted Bill to suffer the most horrible pain imaginable. His golden bolts lifted Bill off the ground and suspended him in mid-air as they traveled all over his skin. Bill cried out in an agonized roar but it was no use. Blackness encased Bill, trying to fight against the strength of the bolts but it was of no use. This would end tonight.

Security burst in the door to see what the ruckus was about and the sight before them shocked them into complete stillness. Sookie crouched at the sudden intrusion into the room her muscles were still tensed to attack. She growled warningly at them.

"Get out." She commanded. She was barely able to hold onto herself and she didn't know what would happen if they remained in the room with them. Cold fury bombarded her. She had learned how to block Eric and wade through his feelings when he was upset but she was losing herself. She couldn't handle the bombardment from both the bond and his mind. She had never felt anything with this much intensity ever come through their bond before, but she knew better. Their bond hones and multiplies and magnifies everything that passes through it. In the end, it didn't matter whether she understood what was happening or not, as she watched Bill writhe and scream in agony. All that mattered was that it was too much for her to handle, and she crouched and prepared to strike.

Peace. Complete and total peace filled Sookie. It covered her and bathed her and soothed all the badness around and then away. The peace she felt didn't make sense but she didn't care. It was relaxing and beautiful and filling. There was no need to fight, no need to be powered up and before she could even prep herself to pull her enclosure back into her bond, it was already done. Her vision was no longer tinted and she was no longer surrounded by her enclosure. She was dumb struck for a moment but the peace within intensified. She was not alone.

_'Stop him Sera.' _Michael's voice sounded in her mind. It was certainly a difference from Gabriel but there was no time to contemplate that. _'He cannot kill Bill.'_

A part of her knew it was the right thing but why did she always have to do the right thing? She may be an angel on the inside but she was still human too and Bill hurt her. True she knows that he is under the influence of Dragxin but still, he hurt her. He vowed to never hurt her...so why was she the one who went flying through the wall. She was tired of fighting Eric over Bill. There was only so much you can blame on past events before it becomes redundant. Bill had no one to blame for losing Sookie but himself. He had no one to blame for his continued misery but himself and she was tired of defending him. Fuck that. Was that the Christian thing to do? Probably not, but she wasn't going to try to keep saving someone that clearly doesn't want to be saved.

_'You can save him though.' _Michael's voice told her. _'You have the means to do it, but it will be up to you to either do the right thing or the easy thing Seraphim. You decide.'_

Sookie looked back at Bill, whose screams were getting weaker and hoarser, and she knew he didn't have much more time before Eric killed him. Dammit! Why the hell did Michael have to go all Seraphim on her? Shit. Fine, she would save Bill...again but she still didn't know how she was supposed to save him, but she guessed that she could ask Michael about that one later.

She stepped up to Eric's enclosure. She didn't even try to speak to him because she knew he was in no condition to listen. The closer she got, the stronger the peace within her became. She stepped right up to Eric's golden enclosure, angry golden bolts licked at her skin but didn't harm her, they were an echo of what he was feeling. She pushed the peace she was feeling onto the enclosure.

As soon as Sookie touched his enclosure Eric's bolt lost their fury. He tried to resist but she pushed the same peace that wrapped her up onto him. It flowed around him, only he didn't readily accept it like Sookie had. He didn't want to be calm. He didn't want to be peaceful. He wanted to fuck Bill the hell up, and he couldn't do that with Sookie pushing peace at him.

"Stop!" He yelled at her, but she didn't. She was like a conductor for the peace that flowed through her onto him, and just like their bond, the peace multiplied and grew within her before it flowed into him. He couldn't resist, and Sookie stepped into his enclosure and wrapped her arms around him. "Stop." He tried again. She didn't listen.

Bill landed in a heap on the floor, still and unmoving. He wasn't flaking, which meant he was alive...but just barely. Sookie didn't spare a glance for her ex-boyfriend; she needed to make sure that her husband was okay. His golden enclosure was locked firmly in their bond, like hers.

"Why?" He asked when he was finally able to. He wasn't mad, he just needed to know.

"Michael." She answered simply.

"So-Sookie." Bill rasped. He wasn't able to pull himself up, not even into the sitting position, but he did manage to turn his head so that he was looking at their ankles. Sookie stepped over to Bill's battered body and knelt by his head. "I-I'm sor-"

"No Bill." She cut him off firmly. "You don't get to apologize. You and I both know that you don't mean it. You can't." His mind was hazy but she could make out enough to see that he was going to try and argue with her. "It would be a lie because you are not in a place to really mean it."

"I never wanted to hurt you." He wheezed.

"Well you have." She replied bluntly.

"Kill me." He pleaded quietly. "Can't live and keep hurting you. You are my life."

"No I'm not Bill, and I won't kill you. You don't get off that easily." Sookie said, her voice was soft but firm.

"Anything." He managed. She knew he wanted to say more but his voice began to fail him. He still couldn't move, but she was able to read what he was trying to say in his mind. _'I will do anything I can to make this up to you. I love you. I will do anything I can to make this right again. I will do anything. I will do anything, just tell me what to do.'_ His mind repeated the words over and over and over again.

"Go back to Bon Temps." Sookie said. "Wait for me to come there. Do not leave your home. Do not hurt yourself. Wait for me."

_'Anything, anything, anything, anything, anything, anything, anything....'_

Sookie stood then and walked back over to a brooding Eric. She closed herself to Bill's mind. She didn't think it would come up with anything new anytime soon.

"Who can we give this to?" She asked Eric as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

Eric regarded her for a moment before he spoke. "I will call Thalia and Maxwell Lee to stay with him. Thalia will be happy to not have to show up at Fangtasia and Maxwell Lee can stay inside with Bill and do whatever the hell he does."

"Who will watch the club?" Sookie asked.

"Clancy will be in charge." Eric said. He was already dialing on his phone, giving orders for what to do with Bill. "It is done. They will stock his place with blood so there will be no reason for him to leave. They have my strict instructions. Maxwell will stay inside with Bill, Thalia will take the outside."

"Thank you Eric." Sookie said. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with Bill but I trust Michael. Thank you for trusting me too." There was a small blip in Eric's mind and in the bond, but as soon as it came it was gone and Eric held her firmly in his arms.

"Always." Eric replied, hugging her tightly and kissing her on the top of her head before letting her go. He walked over to the door. "Guards, take Bill and put him on the first private plane back to Shreveport. He is to have guards at his side the whole time. You will be met by some of my people when you land and they will take custody of him from there."

With a nod two guards took Bill away and Eric wrapped Sookie back up in his arms and held her again. He could feel her reluctance to have him go though he knew she would never voice it. They both lost track of time when Eric's phone rang. He shifted his hold on Sookie just enough to get to his phone.

"Northman."

"We are ready for you sir." Sandy's voice answered. He acknowledged her words and told her that he would be on his way shortly; then he wrapped his arms back around his wife.

"I won't be gone long Lover." He said as he stroked her golden locks.

"Yes you will." She replied. He smiled at her stubbornness.

"Maybe," He conceded. "But if I am, then I promise I will make it up to you when I get back."

"Before sunrise." She stated.

"Before sunrise." He kissed her again and then left her in the hotel room as he went to finish things with Felipe's regime once and for all.

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Sandy was waiting for Eric when he arrived at the universities science building where the many labs of the sciences were all housed.

"Good evening Sire." Sandy greeted him. "We are already set up and ready to go at your will."

"Good." Eric replied as they walked into the building.

"King Stan, Joseph." Sandy acknowledged the Texas royals with a respectful nod of her head. They didn't reply but nodded back.

Sandy led the way through the building. The lab that she led them to dug into the ground. The stadium seating stepped down with swivel desktops to write on. At the very bottom was a large chemistry table that served as an all purpose table for everything from chemical experiments to dissection. To the right of the large table was a podium for the professor to lecture from and on the wall behind all of that was a big what dry erase board. On the left hand side of the dry erase board was a door.

"King Stan, if you and your party could find a seat we will be ready momentarily." Sandy said as they stepped into the classroom. "And if you will follow me your highness I will show you where you can change."

Their parties broke off, Eric and his security followed Sandy to the door next to the dry erase board while Stan and his security found chairs amongst the other spectators. Sandy led him through the door which opened to a small hallway. Five doors totaled in the hallway and they took the first door on the left hand side. It was a dressing room; Pam was already dressed in her scrubs and was in the mirror, pulling her hair up into a bun.

"It's a good night to go back to school Master." Pam said as she nodded to Sandy.

"Indeed." Eric replied.

"Here are your scrubs." She handed over a small pile of clothes that he was almost certain she didn't have before, but then again he knew that he didn't bring his clothes in. "If there isn't anything else I will go find my seat."

"Who is here?" Eric asked as he sat on a bench and began to untie his shoes.

"All the sheriffs including their seconds are here as well as a few of our more prominent vampires in the area. Everyone's security has been redirected through out and around the building but is headed by our people. Your personal security will naturally remain with you."

"Very well." Eric replied and with a deep nod Sandy left.

"Don't tell me you're getting stage fright." Pam said as she smirked at him in the mirror.

"Yes, because we know how much I hate to take being the center of attention." Eric quipped as he began to remove his clothing.

"Well you're not looking worse for the wear." Pam smirked as she took in his naked form. "And here I thought Sookie was your equal." She shook her head in mock disappointment.

"Well that's exactly where you've gone wrong," Eric said as he pulled on his scrub pants. "Thinking that I have an equal. You of anyone should know by now that that's a mistake."

"Shall I ask Sookie if she feels the same way?" She asked.

"And that's your second mistake," He stood and pulled on his scrub top. "Thinking that I am afraid of my wife. I have beaten her before and I am able to do it again."

"You fought Sookie?" Pam asked, completely outraged.

Eric regarded Pam for a long moment but he didn't dip into her mind, she's earned that much from him.

"Of course I fought Sookie, did you really think we wouldn't want to test out our abilities. No one can stand against me except Sookie. Why wouldn't we fight?"

Pam didn't answer this question but asked another. "When was this? Where?"

Eric raised a questioning eyebrow to her but she didn't move her stare. She knew that she had leeway with him, so she pressed on.

"The night of the banquet after you and Bill tried to attack us, Sookie and I went to sleep and we entered our dream realm. It's there that we fought. It's there that I won."

Pam visibly relaxed. "So you hadn't fought in this realm and not called to let me know it was happening so I could watch?"

"I wouldn't dream of it." Eric laughed. "I know no one loves a good fight like you do."

"Tell me about it?" Pam asked, handing him a hair tie to him to bind his hair with.

"I can do you one better." Eric smiled at his child who was so like him it was amazing. "Remind me later and I will show you what happened, we haven't the time right now."

"Deal." Pam said with a smile. She was excited to see what little Sookie with the big temper could do against Eric. "There are coveralls here if you want them."

It only took a moment to decide that coveralls would be a good idea this execution will be a two part event. When they were all dressed they stood in front of one another with a smile of anticipation.

"It surprises me that Sookie isn't here." Pam said.

"You know that she isn't one for torture...not even for one such as Victor."

"True." She agreed. "Though I believe it is a mistake. Dear Abby says that it is healthy to take out your aggressions on the ones that have hurt you. This could've been very therapeutic for her."

Eric smirked at the thought of using that logic on Sookie. He was even tempted to reach towards her blocked mind to offer this argument but decided against it. It would have taken even more time.

"I will have to let her know that. Where is our guest of honor?" Eric asked as they walked to the door.

"He will be brought out on your command." Pam told him as she followed him. "I thought you may want to say something before hand. Though you don't really don't have to, we already know what we are here for."

"I think I will let my actions speak for themselves." They walked into the little hallway and stopped right behind the door that leads back into the classroom.

'What do you think about the Sheriffs in this state?' Eric projected to Pam because every vampire was in hearing distance.

'I think that I cannot wait to read the evaluations Sandy will bring.' Pam replied.

Eric knew that she wanted to say more but they had stalled enough. They were burning the midnight oil as it was so he led her back into the classroom. Everyone in the classroom felt their presence just behind the door but when they entered the room, everyone fell silent. Pam stood next to the wall in front of the dry erase board as Eric moved to stand in front of their make shift dissection table. As he moved, he could feel every eye on him.

They waited for him to speak but he didn't. They waited on him to do something...anything; he didn't. They evaluated and made assumptions and he did the same. He opened his mind as he took in everyone's faces, everyone's thoughts and unconscious postures. They expected him to be like all the other regents they had met or known or heard about. He wasn't. If Eric had known one thing, it would be the fact that actions speak louder than words. He could say a lot of different things to them, make a pretty speech and they would most likely leave with the same thoughts and ideals that they had before. The only way for someone to truly learn was for them to observe you, let them see what you are all about.

Just as they thought he was about to speak he turned away and signaled to Pam. She disappeared behind the door again before she came back with another vampire with a chained and nude Victor Madden in tow. They wordlessly chained him to the table. Eric walked around the table, surveying the different angles and planes of Victor's bound body.

Victor watched helplessly as Eric walked calmly around the table where he lay. He was bound by silver chains, but there was cloth that had been wrapped around his wrists to keep them from burning; funny. He thought that the worst of his worries was going to be when Stan had come to question him about his missing telepath, but when security kept stepping when the questioning became too..."aggressive" he became hopeful. He knew that Felipe was gone but maybe, just maybe the security was sympathetic to him. If that were true then he could use them to help him escape. If he could escape, he could regroup and find a way to conquer Northman and his telepathic whore. He pressed his luck and goaded Stan but each time the security would step in. He tried to keep his thoughts in his face but Stan must have saw something on his face the last time the security stepped in. 'You think that they are going to save you? You think that you have a chance? Do you want to know why you're still alive? You are still alive because Northman wants to kill you personally.' He tried to bolster but wasn't able to stop the fear from sparking in his eye before he could hide it and Stan smiled. 'You know of Northman's reputation for torture. You know the imagination he has. Just think, it's all going to be focused on you...'

Pam rolled a large cart just above Victor's head. It carried all manner of tool for Eric and Pam to use. She tried to think of everything he could possibly want, and because they were dealing with a vampire and not a human she added things that he would actually need to combat the regeneration abilities that all vampires have. Eric looked at her and then down to Victor and then over to their audience. Even with their vampire vision, they would not be able to see because his own body was blocking their view.

"Help me turn this table so that his head is pointed at the audience." Eric said. Even the first row was raised off the floor so everyone had a clear view of what was happening. He wanted no questions.

He picked up a scalpel and nodded for Pam to do the same thing. She moved a second behind him so that she could make sure that she mirrored his every move. Victor was breathing heavy now, trying to prepare himself for the pain ahead of him, but there was no preparation. With the ease of a surgeon, Eric...and Pam sank their scalpels into Victor's shoulders. He didn't realize he was speaking until his words were playing along side Victor's growls as he tried not to cry out.

"Make sure you don't cut the muscles or tendons, all we want is his skin." Eric said. He knew that Pam, and everyone else, heard him even if she didn't respond. "Do you remember what we have learned about vampire regeneration?"

"Yes." Pam replied as she followed his moves and instruction. They cut from his shoulder to the knot of bone where the clavicle lay over the sternum. They both went a little further to where their blades met in the middle of the knots, just above the sternum. Then she followed Eric's movements as he laid his scalpel back down on the tray.

"Refresh my memory." Eric said as he slipped his fingers into the wound he made, before it closed on its own, knowing without looking that Pam was doing the same.

"Blood is what helps us heal so." Pam began. "Harm us and we can heal no matter what but without blood it will take us longer to do. If a part of us is broken off, we can re-grow it. The fallen part flakes away like a dead vampire body."

They were slipping their hands under the skin just keeping it from resealing itself like it's natural for a vampire to do. Victor was struggling not to scream in pain but he was losing that battle fast. One of the things that was on the cart was a small iron machine designed to heat hot combs, but that's not what was in this iron. Instead there were two blunt iron rods with padded handles. Eric picked of the first and Pam got the second, and they began to burn the skin they cut open on both sides, stifling the regeneration process. Of course, eventually Victor would heal, if he were ever given the chance to do so.... For now it served its, purpose, it kept the wound open.

"However." Pam continued as they replaced their rods to heat back up. "If you place the skin of a vampire in blood, our healing agent, it will preserve the skin."

"How long?" Eric asked he picked back up his scalpel and began to repeat the process. This time they cut down the arm, over the wrist, and back up the arm; burning as they went to the tune of Victor's horrendous screams. His body writhed on the table as he tried futilely to get away but it didn't matter, there was no getting away.

"It depends on the appendage that is soaked in blood." Pam replied as she meticulously followed Eric's every move. "If the skin by itself were soaked, then depending on the age of the vampire it can be preserved upwards of three to five years. If it is an organ that's being soaked, then it can survive or about the same amount of time before it begins to involuntarily flake away...though it's usually less time. Then again, all of it eventually flakes away. There's simply no stopping it. No matter how much blood it's soaked it and no matter if it's human or animal. Synthetic blood can't do anything at all in the realm of preserving severed vampire body parts."

Her voice wasn't loud. Victor's wails certainly would have drowned her voice out to a human, but for vampires it was no problem. The audience watched captivated by their new king and his child. Half of them were horrified and yet curious, the other half was just plain horrified because it occurred to them that they have had to do this many times before to know with such certainty how long things could survive. Eventually that thought would occur to even the curious and the fear of the Viking was put in their hearts too.

Two, however, sat calm and unfazed by what they saw. Sandy looked from time to time but mostly sat with her eyes closed, listening to the music that was Victor's tortured screams. It filled her with satisfaction because to her Victor and Felipe are interchangeable. She was ruthless but she had standards. Victor and Felipe were the same kind of monster...the kind that didn't respect anything. It was too late to have Felipe tortured but Victor's slow demise was just as satisfying for her.

Stan sat there with piercing eyes, taking in everything that Northman was doing as he and Pam moved down Victor's body. He took in the information they were sharing to heart. He would have never thought of this but that didn't faze him because what mattered now is that he can try it in the future. He was impressed with Eric and his imagination. It wasn't a monster he saw dying on the table but a threat to his kingdom, and all threats are to be dealt with swiftly.

Eric and Pam worked their way over Victor's torso, cutting and burning until his skin lay over his body like a cover. A human would have passed out by now. A human would have gone into shock. A human would be dead already. For the first time in his existence, Victor wished he were human.

Eric and Pam delighted in the fact that he wasn't. The bond that was forged between them as maker and child was electric because they were able to get down and dirty with each other again. Nothing brings a family together better than group torture. Now, if she could talk him and Sookie (mainly Sookie) into a three way life would be blissful....

Seeing that they were almost ready Pam put down her scalpel while Eric continued to burn the last bits of Victor's chest. She disappeared behind the outer door that she and Eric emerged from, only to reappear with a second cart. She walked slower with this cart as she tried not to spill any of the contents of the large clear plastic tote halfway filled with blood. There was more below but she had it discreetly covered with a black fabric. As soon as she walked into the room every vampire's nose flared with the scent of the authentic human blood. She placed it just beyond the cart that held their tools and she went back over to Eric just in time to help him carefully lift Victor's skin from his body.

Eric used one hand to lift and the other to hold the scalpel so that he could cut anything that continued to hold Victor's skin to his body. Pam used both of her hands to lift and together they raised Victor's skin off his body and into the blood. Victor's screams rose to octaves he hadn't reached since his voice changed the first time when he was a human child. His body jerked and shook the table. He tried to reign himself in for fear of encouraging his torment but he couldn't help himself and he continued to wail and break away from the table.

Victor's blood oozed thickly down the sides of his body and onto the table. Eric returned to him first, stroking the blood, and now exposed muscles of Victor's chest as if he were petting a beloved cat. He twirled his hands in the blood playfully with a small smile on his face. Victor screamed and jerked even harder but the silver zapped his strength, he couldn't get away even if he wanted to...and he really, really wanted to.

"Pam what's the difference between how humans physically feel pain, as opposed to vampires?" Eric asked.

Pam was swirling a hand through the blood, making the skin follow on the current she created. Eric's voice broke the trance she didn't realize she even created when she moved her hand smoothly through the thick blood. She loved human blood, even when it was no longer warm it still pulsed with the life force it carried. It had been a long time since she had trouble getting the amount of anti-coagulant per pint of blood to keep it from congealing and keep it from being useful to her. Since this blood came from a bank she didn't have to recall, though the answer still popped into her head.

"Pam." Eric called because he knew she was more distracted than he was. She walked back over to the other side of the table.

"Nerve endings, or nociceptors, detect harmful stimuli and transmits it to the brain so that it can take appropriate action to protect itself. Variation of nociceptors go throughout the body and most are found in the skin; though they are also found on such internal surfaces like the periosteum and joints. All nociceptors have a preset threshold that requires a certain level of stimuli before it can trigger a signal for immediate action; anything below the threshold may draw the human's attention but not an emergency reaction."

"And vampires?" Eric prompted.

Pam's hand joined Eric's on Victor's body. "When a human is made vampire, every sense is heightened. Sight, taste, sent, touch, hearing are all boosted. Vampires feel everything that touches their body acutely. Humans can feel the wind on their skin. Vampires can feel the wind on their skin, the dust and other particles that float through the air. Humans can feel the temperature of a drink that goes down their throat. Vampires can feel the blood as it moves throughout their body, not just when it goes down. Unlike humans, vampires can feel everything. At a certain point the nerve endings end for humans and the nociceptors are not in everything, thus limiting what humans can feel."

"But that's not true for us is it?" Eric asked, even though he already knew the answers.

"No, it's not." Pam agreed. "We can feel everything that happens to our bodies, no matter if it's internal or external. We can feel the muscles expand and contract in our bodies as we move. When we are hurt, shot for instance, we can feel the bullet in the skin, muscles and identify what organs it went though if it were applicable. We are not limited to feeling just at the joints or the periosteum."

"So basically what you're saying is that Victor can feel our hands touching his muscles?" Eric asked, leading their conversation.

"Yes Professor." Pam remarked.

"And because he can feel what we are doing, what does this mean for us?" Eric asked, trying and failing to keep a slow smirk from forming off his face.

"It means two things." Pam said as she smirked deviously for effect. "One, because it's inside the body there is no tolerance built up as it is on the outside, it means that it will take a lot less to cause even more pain. Two, it means that we are in position for a very good time."

"GET OFF ME YOU PSYCHO FUCKING BITCH!" Victor roared.

Pam leaned down to Victor's head. He didn't need to breathe but his chest was heaving and his head strained as far as it could off the table. She was impressed that tears hadn't fallen yet, but there was still time and she will make it her new goal. She dipped her head and licked his peck slowly. His blood was thick and cool and tasted of fear and despair, and yet defiant even still. It was yummy.

"Mmmmm. I like it when you talk dirty to me." She purred.

"Be careful Victor." Eric said with three stiff pats to Victor's chest. Victor gritted his teeth but still couldn't help but to cry out in pain. "With sweet talk like that, you may make Pam fall in love. She's a sucker for pretty words."

"No fair Eric, you can't tell him all my secrets." Pam pretended to pout. "I don't want to be easy. I want to make him work for it."

"You're right dear Pamela. I apologize." Eric apologized with a debonair nod of his head. "Work for it he shall."

Pam smiled beatifically, as if Eric had just made all her dreams come true. "You spoil me so."

"I can't seem to help myself." Eric replied. He picked his scalpel back up. "Shall we?"

Pam didn't need to be asked twice. She picked up her scalpel and winked at Victor. "By all means, lead the way Professor."

They dismantled him piece by piece starting with the deltoids and the pectoral muscles and they continued all the way down his arms and chest until his blood stained bones showed. Victor's screams were like a violent symphony, nothing more than music to work to. His body jerked trying to escape as he was being dismantled and yet he was still unable to break his silver restraints. Every muscle they took they dropped into the clear plastic tote, and soon Victor's skin was in the middle of a party instead of a solitary existence.

Ligaments, muscle, joints were all gone and there was no longer anything to keep Victor's organs from spilling over the table, except Pam and Eric's hands. A soft purr emanated from Pam's chest and Eric looked at her questioningly.

"It's been too long since such terror fed my senses for such a long period of time." She answered his silent question.

"Why Pam, I do believe you are getting drunk off of dear Victor." Eric teased.

"What can I say Professor? It's been a while." She admitted, completely unabashed. She lifted her bloody hand to her mouth and licked the blood that covered her. Another purr emanated from her chest, only a bit louder. Victor's blood was almost heady. It tasted of horror and anguish and unadulterated fear...all things that draw vampires. In that moment she wanted to roll around the open cavity of Victor's body and let his blood and organs wrap around her skin. She wanted to dive head first into his tormented blood and just stay there for a decade or two.

"Indeed." Eric said as he peaked into Pam's mind. As controlled as she was, it was times like these that he remembered how young she truly was; and because times like these haven't arrived for decades, she's let her will of restraint to grow a bit softer.

Eric's voice, just that one little word, seemed to break through Pam's high. Her eyes snapped back to his and she realized that she let go of some of her control. She took a deep breath and reigned herself back in. He didn't say anything else to her but just watched her regain control. When she did she gave him a small nod and he turned to the audience.

"Now is not the time for speeches, our time grows short and you have to leave to go take cover. I know what is said about me. You think me weak because I have chosen my human wife to rule beside me instead of behind me. You think me weak for taking a human as my permanent mate period. Those of you who have known me before, know that I am fair. For those of you who wish to try me, know that Pam and I are out of practice and we would love the chance to re-sharpen our skills. Victor here is getting off easy because of the lack of time we have." Pam moved her hands over Victor's organs so that his now hoarse voice cried out as if on queue. "What I want you to do after you leave here is to think. Think about if you can serve effectively under me. Think about whether or not you can serve my bonded. Think very carefully because those who serve me well will be rewarded and those who don't...well let's just say that they will get the full Victor treatment."

He turned back to Pam and together they lifted all Victor's organs out of his body, leaving only his heart and lungs to ensure that he didn't flake away and that if he could still scream then he would have the breath to do it. A strange gurgle was coming from his mouth, not quite a wail and not quite a moan, and he coughed up some blood. His voice was worn from all his screaming and his body was now limp.

"Start jarring the organs Pam." Eric said as he moved back next to Victor.

Pam nodded and set off to work. The audience looked back and forth between them until Eric began to speak again.

"I take care of those who serve me. Those that oppose will be dealt with swiftly." Eric said. "Sandy come here."

In that moment every eye moved from Eric and Pam over to Sandy who had finally opened her eyes now that Victor's throat was too raw to scream effectively. She was shocked but she stood. She didn't know what was going on or why she was being singled out. Fear went through her for a moment before she remembered that she had already embraced Eric and Sookie. She walked down and stood in front of Eric without a word. When she stood in front of him, she bowed and waited for his acknowledgement.

"Stand Sandy." Eric said and she complied. "I have something for your lover."

She looked at him questioningly but didn't speak. It was highly irregular for him to give her lover a gift. She was shocked but more than that, she just didn't know what to say so she said nothing. She watched as Eric turned from her and reached again for the scalpel. Victor was breathing harshly but she no longer spared him her gaze, her eyes were all for Eric. He reached to Victor's crotch and his arm did a fast jerk, but she couldn't see what he was doing so she waited.

Victor's ruined voice wailed unlike anything she had ever heard come from a man's mouth. She felt the audience shift restlessly in their seats though none of them spoke and she didn't turn around to see who had moved. Eric turned back to her and offered her his hand, which now held the severed testicles of Victor.

"I can't give her Felipe's, though she deserves them, but I can give her the testicles of Felipe's right hand." Eric said. Sandy was stunned and Eric resisted dipping into her mind.

"Thank you Sire." Sandy said when she was sure she could keep her emotion in check. "Your gift means more than I can say."

Eric nodded his understanding. "Pam, get something to put these in so that they don't flake away."

"I've got just the thing!" Pam said with a bright smile that Eric didn't trust. She reached under the covered cart and pulled out a clear Planters peanut jar. "How about this?"

Eric laughed, he couldn't help himself. "I think that will do just fine." He watched her fill the jar with blood and then he dropped Victor's testicles into the Planters jar. He screwed on the top and the label caught his attention. Next to the peanut logo where it was supposed to have the flavor written it said Victor's Victory Roast. Eric managed not to laugh again and quickly handed Sandy the jar.

Sandy bowed again and returned to her seat. Pam came to stand by Eric's side and they faced the audience. "I will be seeing you all very soon." Eric said. "Every Sheriff needs to pick up a jar keep it with you. Everyone is dismissed, go find and find shelter for the day."

Eric walked over to Stan as everyone got to their feet and moved over to where Pam stood.

"That was very illuminating Eric." Stan said as he stood.

"I thought you may like it."

"You said he was getting off easy because we were short on time, what's the full treatment?"

"His entire body would be dismantled, everything except his heart and head and spinal column. It would take days to actually do to our standards. At a certain point you will need to submerge the vampire in a blood bath to nourish the heart so that they don't accidentally die on you."

"Very interesting."

"That's a compliment coming from you Stan." Eric smirked. "I have detained you too late this night, when will you leave?"

"We are actually going directly to the airport from here. My plane is waiting for us."

"Are you sure? I would be happy to host you another night."

"No, we I have been away for my kingdom long enough." Stan insisted. "Besides, the day is good for nothing else besides killing and travel; I, myself, choose to travel."

Eric smiled. "Of course. I will check in with you soon Stan."

"Of course."

They both bowed their head slightly to one another out of respect before they turned their own ways. By the time Eric reached Pam again, the last Sheriff was exiting through the door. Sandy, however was already standing next to Pam with her _Planters_ jar in one hand and another jar that held Victor's kidneys.

"I have a cleaning crew ready for you. When you are done just leave your coveralls in the dressing room and they will take care of it. I've contracted them for two hours after dawn."

"Very good." Eric said.

"Is there anything else you need of me this night?"

"No Sandy you've done very well. Go and find cover."

"Very well sir, I will see you at nightfall." Sandy bowed respectfully then nodded to Pam. "Pam."

"Sandy." Pam acknowledged her back. Sandy turned on her heels and left them alone.

"Let's prepare him for removal." Eric said to Pam.

_'You're not going to make it.'_ Sookie's sweet voice whispered into his mind. The block she had placed between their minds to protect herself was still most of the way in place, but she had left a crack-ever so small-in order to speak with him. _'You're not going to make it.'_ She thought to him again.

He could taste the sadness her voice held. She was right, he wasn't going to make it. "Pam go ahead and start on Victor, I will be with you in a moment."

"Sookie?" She guessed. He nodded. "Okay, we will be ready when you are."

_'No Lover, I am not going to make it.'_ He replied as he focused back on his wife. _'Sleep as best you can and I will be there as soon as I can.'_

_'I will wait for you.'_ She thought and he could feel her resolve beginning to build in their bond.

He knew that she didn't like sleeping without him. His presence was as much of a comfort to her as hers was to him. She could sleep without him...she just didn't like to. _'No Sookie, sleep. I am not going to make it but you can sleep for us. Don't wait up for me. You will be in my arms before you can even miss me.'_

_'Too late.'_ She quipped but then her voice in his mind faded to just a whisper. _'You're not going to make it.'_ Was all she could say before she was gone once more behind the block.

He hated not being there when she fell asleep, there was a peace that was there that made him almost able to experience it for himself. It was much different than what he experienced at the coming of the dawn, but now was not the time to think on it. He and Pam were covered in blood, Victor's blood. Blood stained their golden hair and their coveralls. They would need to wash thoroughly later. They didn't take off their coveralls though. As bloody as they were they still needed them...Victor was still alive.

The anatomy lab where they had been working was now clear of all its spectators. A cleaning crew hired by Sandy was now cleaning, as best they could, around Victor's corpse. They took special care to avoid the soon to be dead vampire still lying, barely there on the lab table. No one got too close, daylight was eminent but they were warned that the most dangerous vampire was a wounded vampire and they took the warning seriously.

It was fifty minutes until dawn and Pam was still going strong. The impending morning weighed on her shoulders more now than that first night she never went to sleep to find Dragxon masquerading as Gabriel, but it still weighed on her. She was able to fight against it like a vampire twice her age because of Sookie's tears.

As her maker Eric could feel what Pam did but he didn't try to talk her out of staying, he knew her too well. When he focused his sight on Pam again he saw two extra jars above his head that wasn't there before. He walked over to see that Pam had removed his eyes and tongue. In the same jar as the tongue was Victor's fangs. There were no other teeth in either of the jars but there were teeth sitting on either side of Victor's head. Eric quirked a questioning eye at Pam, who just shrugged and began unchaining Victor. Eric shook his head but didn't comment.

There were no eyes in Victor's sockets, but Eric looked to where they should have been. "Ready for our last journey?" Eric asked.

A gurgling grunt came from Victor's body, it was all he could manage with no tongue to talk with and no teeth to help him form words. The pull of the rising sun was dragging him to slumber but he knew that Eric would never allow him to sleep.

"Now now, don't sound so down. It's going to be a beautiful morning." Eric beamed at Victor's blinded body.

"Come on, Eric." Pam said anxiously. She was excited to see her first sunrise in centuries. "I want to go get a good seat."

"Of course my child." Eric said indulgently. He leaned down and pulled Victor into a sitting position and picking him up bridal style. Victor's head lulled back and Eric tipped his body back so that his legs were a little above his head to make it easier for Victor's heart and lungs to stay in his chest cavity. A loud moan escaped Victor as Eric adjusted him in his arms. Then Eric led the way out of the classroom.

"I'm glad we didn't remove his voice box." Pam said as she fell into step next to Eric. "He makes the most delightful sounds."

"You are truly one of a kind my child." Eric said ruefully. "Don't you think Victor?" Victor tried his best not to answer Eric, but he couldn't help himself. Eric's shoulder felt like a million shards of glass churning within his body.

"You know you used to be so much more articulate than this Victor." Eric mused.

"Not his fault Master." Pam injected. "Cats got his tongue." She said in a sing-song voice.

They came to the stairway, they didn't want to take chances with the cameras in the elevators, and they began to climb. This was definitely going to go down in the hall of fame for them. Something about this felt so freeing to them both. It took them back, way back, to a time when they were more free to give into the darker side of their nature. As they began to climb the stairs, they both thought back over the night. The only regret that either had was that they didn't have the time to do a completed lesson, but they both knew it was unwise to leave Victor alive longer than they already had. It was just inviting someone to try and break him out.

They reached the roof access in no time flat, their excitement made them move faster than they usually would have. It was just minutes before dawn. It didn't change how Eric was feeling but he knew that Pam was having to fight a little harder. He stopped four steps in front of the door but didn't turn around.

"Step as close to me as you can Pam." Eric told her. She complied without a word and pressed her body into Eric's back, her arms wrapped around his waist.

When he felt her secure herself to him, Eric reached for the bond and let his golden enclosure erupt all around them. Victor sucked in a ragged breath and opened his eyeless sockets, jerking his head around as he tried to make sense of what was happening. Pam's arms tightened around him for a moment before she let him go. He could feel the tension leave her body just as he felt Victor's tense in his arms. Apparently Pam didn't have to fight to stay away within his enclosure, and that meant that Victor couldn't find relief in his sleep.

Eric focused on the door and then opened it up and they stepped out on the roof. It was unremarkable as far as roofs went, a great open space sporadically marked by air conditioners and vents for the building. They faced the East and walked further out onto the roof.

"I don't know about you Pam, but I have expended all the energy I want to on Victor Madden." Eric said as he laid Victor on the ground. Sensing his end was near Victor clung to Eric but his grip was easily broken. "I would prefer just to enjoy your first sunrise."

Pam looked at Eric and then back at Victor. She seemed to think about relaxing for the sunrise and causing Victor more pain. "I think you are right. I want to enjoy it with no distractions."

They smiled at each other and Eric offered her a bloody hand, Pam took it and together they turned their backs on Victor and walked to the eastside of the building. They sat on the ledge with their legs hanging over the side. Not a soul was outside. Victor moaned in the background but they paid him no attention.

Eric kept Pam's hand and she leaned into him, laying her head on his shoulder. He knew she was not tired, and Pam was never the sentimental type. She did however want the closeness because a small trickle of natural fear, that all vampires have, that had everything to do with the sun coming up. She was excited but it was natural to be scared too. Eric didn't say anything but he did squeeze her hand lightly and that's all she needed.

The edge of the sky was lightening more and more. Hues of fuchsia and purple and gold painted the sky. Pam's hand tightened even further on Eric's hand and if he were human he would already have a few broken bones. Fear swelled in Pam, this wasn't right...it wasn't natural for them to be out there. They should be asleep in a light tight space, not sitting out for all the world to see when the sun destroys them.

"It's okay Pam." Eric murmured. "The sun won't harm you."

Pam didn't reply, she just nodded her head minutely and continued her death grip on Eric's hand; though she didn't tighten her grip further so his words must have helped her some. He let her feel his calm. He didn't want her to be scared; he wanted her to enjoy this major first. So where she was connected to him as his child she was able to feed on his calmness and she relaxed against him.

The sun peaked over the horizon, bathing everything in its brilliant shine. It stole the breath from Pam's lungs and she froze, caught in the beauty of something she didn't think she would ever see again. She could faintly recognize Victor's screams behind her as he burst into flame, but it didn't matter to her anymore so her mind stopped computing it. The heat of the sun danced across her skin and the scent of a brand new day filled the air.

Eric turned back for a moment, just in time to see the last of Victor burn. A second later there was nothing to mark that Victor was there to begin with and Eric turned back to the sunrise. He wiped a bloody tear from Pam's eye. This was his first time in the sunlight too. Of course he spent most of their dream realm visits in the sun but that's not reality, this was. It mattered that this was a first he was sharing with Pam. They weren't lovey dovey, far from it, but this just seemed right. He let his shields down and they walked through his memories of them together. Pam added her memories, the best and the worst of Pam and Eric, to the mix. They smiled together as it all played out for them against the back drop of the rising sun, finally ending where they are now. Neither were sure how long they sat there just watching the world come alive for the day. Eric was the first to regain himself. He turned around, letting his enclosure grow around them, and stood up back on the rooftop.

"It's time to get going Pam." He said.

Pam sat for another moment before she sighed at the beauty before her and then turned to stand next to Eric. They walked slowly back to the door. There was nothing to mark where Victor burned except the smell. Neither Eric or Pam even so much as glanced at the spot. They reached the door and walked down the stairs back to the classroom. The cleaning crew was finished cleaning and was now packing their supplies up.

"What do you want to do with the parts of Victor that's still here?" Pam asked as they walked down towards the podium.

"Burn it all, I want nothing." Eric replied.

"Okay I will make sure it gets done." Pam said. She stepped out if his enclosure experimentally. Her fatigue hit her but it was still manageable. She nodded to Eric that she was okay and then turned away.

Eric left Pam to give the orders while he went on back to the changing room and began to peel his coveralls and gloves off. Catching a glance in the mirror of blood on his face and in his hair, he decided to go on and just take a shower now so that he won't have to do anything except crawl into the bed with Sookie later. By the time Pam came in and began undressing, Eric was turning off the water to the shower.

"Everything is taken care of." Pam said as she stripped off the last of her clothes. "Just give me two minutes in the shower and I will be ready to go.

"Fine." Eric replied as he began to redress in the clothes that he came in earlier. Pam was out in a flash and it was time for them to go. Eric extended his shield to include her again and they walked out. When they cleared the outer door their guards surrounded them, they had switched out from vampires to Were's when they were gone. Eric dipped into their mind to find them vigilant and loyal, so he let them lead them back to the limousine that awaited them.

Their caravan pulled out and they headed back to the hotel. They rode in silence. Eric brushed gently against the mental blocks between him and Sookie. He knew that she was asleep because when she was awake the blocks were like steel but in her sleep they were fluid. He didn't want to intrude upon her dreams but he let the peacefulness wash through him. He didn't notice when they had arrived back at the hotel until Pam nudged him in the side. They were escorted through the private entrance and up the freight elevator.

He opened the door to the room and didn't wait to see what everyone else did. He pushed his enclosure back into the bond. Pam's knees seemed weak and Eric grabbed her elbow to steady her. He watched the guards secure the door, then he and Pam walked into the bedroom.

"Until nightfall." Pam said and all but flung herself at her coffin.

Eric stripped his clothes as he walked over to the bed that held Sookie. He slipped under the covers with her and wrapped his arms around her. She smelled amazing. He nuzzled his face in the back of her neck and took a deep breath. Sookie turned over so that she was facing him and buried her face in his neck and her arms tightened around him. He almost thought that she had awoken but the wall around her mind was still as fluid as before. Her body was just reacting to his closeness.

He threw out his mind one last time to scan for danger, sensing nothing, he prepared himself to go and meet his wife. Eric took one last deep, calming breath and died for the day.

TBC


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear in any of the Charlaine Harris books, everyone else belongs to me.

A/N: Hello once again everyone. I would like to take the opportunity to thank all my readers for sticking with me this far into my story. Thanks for the faith and the votes of confidence.

This chapter is a reward chapter. I have a special outtake for those of you who review. I will tell more about it at the end of the chapter. For now. Enjoy.

* * *

Sookie jerked awake in the bed as a loud ringing wail broke the peaceful silence of the room. Eric's arms fell away from her as she looked around for the origin of the offending noise. Another wail revealed that it was the phone next to the bed. She reached over and picked up the phone.

"Hello?" She answered; her voice thick with sleep. She looked at the clock to see that it was eight in the morning.

"Good morning, this is Tonya from the Mirage Spa. This is your requested two hour warning for your appointment." A too cheerful voice answered.

"Thank you Tonya." Sookie replied.

"Will you need another call?" Tonya asked.

"No, I will be there on time." Sookie assured her.

"Alrighty, we will see you soon."

"Yes." Sookie replied and then hung up.

She propped her pillows up behind her and sat a little straighter in bed looking down on Eric's beautiful face. He was so handsome, it was almost sickening. The room was completely black but that didn't hinder her improved vision of the masculine lines of his face. She ran her fingers appreciatively over the plains of his face, tucking his hair behind his ear, and then kissed his temple gently before sliding out of the bed.

She hadn't felt so good in a long time. She took Eric's advice and checked out the amenities that were offered to them. It was too late for the spa last night but she called to get hours so that she could check it out later. As soon as the concierge realized what room she was calling from he connected her to the head of the spa, a woman named Cynthia. At first Sookie felt bad about disturbing her after hours but Cynthia soon put her at ease. Before she knew it Sookie and Cynthia had mapped out a full itinerary for the next day. At Cynthia's recommendation, the treatments were broken up so that she wouldn't spend the entire day in the spa. Sookie had tried to protest but Cynthia was already paging workers to complete the treatments for her. Sookie relented when Cynthia assured her that they volunteered to be on call for such reasons and were well compensated for it too.

Three women showed up and they gave Sookie a manicure and pedicure, a warm oil scalp massage, a back facial (which she had never heard of), and complete waxing for her legs, under arms and bikini line. By the end of it she was sore from the waxing but the back facial and the manicure and pedicure was so relaxing that by the time she took another shower she barely made it to the bed before passing out for the night.

The sun had called to her body, letting her know of its imminent arrival. She woke to a dark room and an empty bed and called to Eric. She couldn't remember all that was said, but she remembered that she went to bed disappointed that he wouldn't be there before the morning dawn came. She went back to sleep and dreamed of watching the sunrise with Eric and Pam.

Now waking up the next day, she was already feeling like a million bucks, she couldn't wait to see how she felt after her massage and facial treatments this morning. She kissed Eric once more and whispered her love into his ear before getting out of bed and heading to the shower. She didn't dally long there because she expected to have a full day. She toweled her hair off then put product on it so it wouldn't frizz, that way she could just let it dry in soft waves. She decided to forgo any makeup since she knew that she would be getting a facial. Besides, ever since she and Eric came into their gifts, her skin was constantly flawless no matter what making makeup kind of useless. With that settled she walked over to the closet and their luggage to find clothing.

Looking through everything she had brought with her she decided to keep it simple with a sundress to wear. She was struck by the subtle changes in her clothes. Ever since she and Eric re-bonded, her clothes had been disappearing, being replaced with others that she knew were expensive but still understated. She knew that this was Eric's doing but she couldn't prove it and, worse than that, everything was to her style and taste. She wanted to argue about not being a kept woman but he pointed out to her that they were bonded and in essence married, which meant that she wasn't being kept; money was being spent on an equal partner in their marriage. That quieted her. She still wanted to argue but she just couldn't come up with an argument good enough. Now they were really and truly married in every way so saying anything now would be moot. Sookie rolled her eyes and decided not to sweat the small things.

She saw a flash of bright blue and her decision was made. She dressed in a simple spaghetti strapped blue streak dress with a navy bow and dot design. It had a fun ruffled camisole neckline, a banded waist and ruffled continental pockets with an A-line skirt. It was very pretty and easy to get out of and back into. It showed off her curves perfectly. She matched them with two inch navy flip flop heels with a decorative bow over the toe and a navy envelope clutch that was just big enough for her wallet and envelope.

Walking into the sitting room she took in each of the daytime guards. They were doing their jobs being "invisible" to her and trying to stay out of her way. She thought it was stupid for her not to interact with them. After all, they _were_ there and she knew she'd be no good at just ignoring them. She decided not to even try.

"Good morning everyone." She spoke to them. They all turned to her, some in shock that she had spoken directly to them, without it being an order. She smiled nervously at them, waiting for a response.

"Good morning your majesty." They said, almost in perfect unison.

She closed the bedroom door behind her and walked over to the closed window. She opened it and let the bright morning sun shine in on them.

"I'm not sure what all I am going to be doing, but I know that I will be going to the spa at the very least." She said as she walked back towards them. "Who is in charge?"

"I am." One man said. He was about six-one or so with a lean yet muscled build. He had neat black dread locks that came just passed his shoulder, though the top was pulled back out of his eyes with a black hair-tie. He was very handsome and oozed confidence even if he did match everyone in the bodyguard black look. His face seemed to be carefully constructed perfectly for him. His jaw line and cheek bones were pronounced but not hard or overwhelming. He had thick lips that no white person, except maybe Angelina Jolie, was capable of. He was pretty but everything about his face screamed masculine. Sookie would have guessed that with his build and his face he could have made a killing as a model. His honey brown eyes seemed to glow and dance with mirth and mischief and it automatically made Sookie smile at him. He had a pair of black shades tucked into the neck of his shirt. Some how the way he was dressed didn't seem to jive with the energy he exuded.

"As am I." Another spoke a second later. This one was taller than the first but she knew he was still shorter than Eric. His face was striking though she couldn't decide whether he was handsome or not. The more she looked at his face she noticed his strong jaw and high cheek bones and full lips he had deep brown eyes that almost looked black. He carried his wide shoulders back with his head held high. He was stockier than the first guy and had a more quiet confidence about him. Whether it was his face or his body or just the air around him, whatever it was it commanded a second look. Everything about him screamed serious in a 'I will kick your ass if you look at me or mine cross eyed, and don't worry about calling the police because they are in my back pocket and will handcuff you while I beat the shit out of you again for fucking up our day' kind of way. Sookie felt somehow more secure with him there because he gave off a serious air of calmness and security. It wasn't like he was around so you can feel calm and relaxed and secure, but you can feel calm and relaxed and secure _because_he was around. Sookie liked this very much about him.

"Then will you both please join me...?" She let it trail off in the absence of their names.

"Jamal." The handsome black guard with dreads answered.

"Al." The second, more serious, one spoke.

Sookie sat on the couch and motioned Jamal and Al to the sitting chairs, which they took with a small smile and a nod of acceptance. "I just have a few things I wanted to ask about but first, has everyone had breakfast?"

The two heads of security glanced at each other and but then answered honestly. "No." They both answered but then Jamal added. "We usually do so in shifts."

Sookie nodded and turned to the others and asked them the same question. Some said yes and the others said no but she had more of them that said no than yes. She nodded and then grabbed the phone next to the couch and called the concierge.

"Mirage concierge, how may I help you this morning?" A man answered stiffly.

"This is Sookie Northman in the tower suite, I need a large breakfast order put together and sent to my suite." She told him.

He paused for a moment and then spoke. Somehow his voice had gone from stiff to highly delighted and accommodating. "Yes Mrs. Northman, I can take care of that for you. May I point out that we do have a complete breakfast that you can take advantage of."

"I am aware of that, but my needs require me to stay in my room for now."

"Of course Mrs. Northman. What would you like us to bring.

She scanned the minds of the guards and ordered according to that. "Eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, fresh fruit that excludes melon and cantaloupe, vanilla and plain yogurt, toast, bagels, cream cheese, and smoked salmon." She smiled when she was done because they covered her and a whole lot more.

"And to drink?" The concierge prompted in the next moment.

"To drink," Sookie said out loud so that she could prompt the securities minds in that direction. "Orange juice, apple juice, 2% milk, coffee -regular, and water."

"Alright Mrs. Northman and how many are we feeding?"

She wasn't surprise that Jamal and Al heard this question, both of them being a Were of one kind or another meant they had excellent hearing. Both heads of security shook their head at her, and Al mouthed, _'not our real number'_ at her. She nodded and complied. She looked around and did a mental tally of everyone. There were six here who's minds were trained on her, six who's minds were on Eric, two that stayed in the room at all times, and four that were flux-which mean they went where ever they were needed the most. She thought that it was odd that they had so many in here but she would wait and ask about that later. She had eighteen guards who probably all ate like horses, so she figured that double would be good for everyone.

"?" The concierge called when she was quiet for too long.

"Sorry, I was trying to count." She admitted.

"Oh of course ma'am." He replied and waited for her to speak again.

"I need enough to feed thirty-six men." Sookie finally said.

"Thirty-six?" The concierge inquired, a bit astonished at her final number.

"Yes, thirty-six. Will that be a problem?" She asked.

"Of course not, Mrs. Northman." He replied, recollecting his cool.

"How long will the wait be?" Sookie asked.

"Uh-" He went quiet as he calculated for a moment. "Thirty to forty minutes at the most, twenty minutes at the least. We have a lot of this already in cycle for our buffet so the big part will be just getting it ready for transport. Would you like this breakfast serviced?"

"No self serve will be just fine."

"As you wish. Is there anything else I can get for you Mrs. Northman?" The concierge asked cheerfully.

"No, this is all." Sookie replied.

"Very well, then I will see you in a few minutes."

"Alright, goodbye." Sookie told him before hanging up the phone. She took a breath and turned back to Al and Jamal. "So why are there two heads of security here?" She asked, mainly because it was the first thing that popped into her mind.

Jamal and Al regarded each other in a silent conversation to see who answered. Apparently Al won.

"Technically the top three heads of security is here on site." Al began. "Maxus, who is our boss and head of the overall security for the King and Queen, is here too; but because Jamal and I are watching over you at the moment he is free to watch over the overall security to make sure your states are safe."

"Okay, Maxus is the head honcho." Sookie said, committing the name and position to her memory. "How do you and Jamal fit into this?"

"I am the head bodyguard of the King, he is my top priority."

"And I have been selected as your head bodyguard." Jamal said with a playful smile. "That is until you choose your own guard, but I'm hoping that I will make a good enough impression on you that you will decided to keep me around as more than a pretty face."

Sookie burst into laughter. "Really." She managed through her laughter.

"Of course Queen Sookie." Jamal continued with a mock seriousness that only made Sookie laugh harder. "We are still in an economic recession and this pretty face is too pretty to be out on the streets."

"Of course." Sookie said as she took a deep breath to try and gain control of herself. When her voice was steady she spoke again. "But I don't need a bodyguard. I can take care of myself."

Jamal's joking face turned a bit serious, and his words no longer had a hint of laughter to it. "We know you can." He told her. "We've heard the stories of what you can do and we believe that neither you nor King Northman physically need a bodyguard."

"Why do I hear a 'but' coming on?" Sookie asked.

A small smile graced Jamal's lips but his voice remained serious. "You don't physically need a bodyguard, _but_ socially you do."

"Socially?" Sookie asked dubiously. What kind of social situation figured into this? Was she going to need protection from wealthy socialites?

"If I pulled out a gun and shot you, what would happen?" Al asked.

Sookie regarded him for a moment. "I would probably hurt you in a very unpleasant way." She told him honestly.

For the first time a small smile appeared on his lips. "Perhaps I should be a bit clearer. If I were to pull out a gun and shoot you, what would happen _to the bullet_?" He stressed the last three words.

Sookie scanned his mind and found that there was no malice or intent behind the question; he just wanted to make a point. So she answered him honestly. "If I were powered up, the bullet would disintegrate as soon as it hit my shield. If I wasn't powered up, then it would probably do a _Superman_."

"A superman?" Al asked a bit confused.

"You know," Jamal cut in before Sookie could explain. "The impact of the bullet hitting her skin would flatten the bullet before it fell to the ground, leaving her without so much as a scratch; just like _Superman_."

Al nodded his understanding. "Exactly Queen Sookie. How could explain your shield? How can you explain being shot without any harm done to you? You are not a vampire, and you aren't a Were or a Shifter of any kind. If someone saw you get shot, how could you explain it away?"

Sookie opened her to respond but closed it when her argument died on her tongue. She thought hard about it. If she were in a private residence then it wouldn't matter, but if it wasn't she would have to tell people something. The world only knew about vampires and shifters, that's it. She clearly wouldn't be accepted as either. She spent too much time in the sun, still, to be a vampire and when she didn't turn up with any of the local Were's or Shifter packs during the full moon they would know something was up. More than that, she couldn't afford to lie about being a shifter, even for a little while, all someone would have to do is to challenge her claim and she was busted. If someone challenged her claim of being a shifter and they came up missing it would be even worse. Besides it wouldn't explain her silver enclosure, just like being a vampire wouldn't explain Eric's golden enclosure. Shit!

Sookie frowned. "I don't like you." She told Al, who looked completely shocked at her statement.

"Have I offended you somehow Queen Sookie?" He asked.

"Yes." She answered shortly. She noticed Jamal was watching them without a word, a small smile on his thick lips like he knew a secret that you didn't know...and it was _really_ good.

"May I ask how so, so that I will not offend you again good Queen?" Al asked solemnly as he studied her face.

"You argue with logic like Eric does and I don't like it." She said. She could see the physical relief in him. "I have a hard enough time trying to argue my way around Eric; I don't need a second person to have to get around too."

Jamal burst into laughter and Al even cracked a smile. Though he wouldn't say it out loud, the compliment Sookie was giving him was one he was taking to heart. He admired the Viking greatly.

"I do apologize Queen Sookie." Al said with a bow of his head. "I pray you will forgive me."

"You said that you are the head of Eric's security right?" She checked.

"Yes."

"Then you are forgiven." She said with a smile. "No offence, one logical fighter is enough for me; but somehow I think you will compliment Eric."

"Thank you your majesty."

"Ugh we are here, about to break bread, and Eric is tucked in safely for the day, you don't have to be so formal." Sookie told them both.

"It is protocol." Al reminded her.

"Well protocol is a pain in the ass. So let's save it for when people are watching." Sookie responded. "Or when Eric or Pam is around. He's a bit...concerned about how I will be treated and received."

"Of course he is." Al said. "You are a vampire Queen, but you are not a vampire. You have the allegiance of multiple Were and Shifter packs but you are not a Were or a Shifter. People will try you, try to take advantage of you. They will try to use you and your position to their advantage until they realize that it will not work."

"I thought you said Eric was your priority, how do you know so much about me?" Sookie asked.

"King Northman is my priority but you are his. That means that it's in my best interest to know about you too."

"Besides." Jamal chimed in with his playful voice. "Everyone knows those things about you. It's like Sookie 101."

"You've taken a class?" Sookie asked, half kidding and half surprised.

"Yes and I've aced it." Jamal assured her with faux modesty.

Sookie was going to ask more questions but thought better of it. She didn't want to know how much Jamal knew about her. "I think I will just let that one go." Sookie said, causing Jamal's smile to grow even wider. "If the two of you are here together then who is higher ranked?"

"I am." Al said simply.

"Do I want to know why that is?" She asked him. It wasn't what he said but how he said it that made her curious. She couldn't place it but there was something in the obviousness of his tone.

"You are Queen but _he _is the King." Al said as if it explained everything.

Sookie opened her mouth to respond to that infuriating comment when Jamal spoke again.

"Sorry to interrupt Queen Sookie," she gave him a look. "Uh...Sookie?" She nodded. "He's in command because he's been doing this longer than I have, he has seniority." Jamal explained, hoping to keep her in a good mood. He had been raised around women and he just knew that Al was heading down a dangerous path, it was like a sixth sense for him.

"You know you're a bad liar when the person you're lying to can read your mind." Sookie said.

Jamal actually managed to look sheepish. "I wasn't lying. Que...Sookie, that's the truth."

"And the other part of the truth is that if you were the one with seniority you would be on Eric's detail and not mine." Sookie said a little ticked.

"Can I plead the fifth?" Jamal asked with an impish grin.

Sookie's smile was involuntary but that didn't stop it from lighting up her face. "Fine." She replied. "It's a man's world."

"And we just work in it." Jamal added.

Sookie nodded and smiled again. She took a deep breath because Jamal was right. They couldn't help the fact that things were structured the way they were. She decided to just move on. "Okay, I wanted to talk to you about my day." She told them both but she mainly faced Jamal because he was the one in charge of her security. "After lunch I will head down to the spa for a few hours."

"Are we going out into the city?" He asked.

"I don't know." She admitted. "I hadn't planned on it to be honest. I'm not sure how long it's going to take in the spa, but I will hopefully have a guest with me for a late lunch or early dinner, depending on how long the spa treatments last."

"If you give us a name we can put him on a list of admittance with out security."

"That won't be necessary." Sookie said with a rueful smile. "Trust me."

"If he plans on getting in it will." Jamal assured her. "He will need to be searched to make sure he's not carrying anything harmful to you or the King."

Sookie smiled. "If he comes...well, when you see him feel free to ask him to submit to a search, but I can tell you now that he is no danger to me or the King."

"Why do I feel like I'm being setup?" Jamal asked.

"You're the one who said you aced _Sookie 101_, so you should be able to answer that for yourself. I mean would I setup the head of my security, even though I don't think I need security and was out-argued by Ally-boy over here?" She asked as innocently as she could.

"My hands are tied Sookie." Jamal admitted.

"How so?" Sookie asked.

"If I answered that honestly, it would be an insult and if I lied it would be a betrayal of trust between us. I'm honestly not sure how to answer so I will once again plead the fifth and keep my mouth shut."

Sookie laughed again and before anyone could say anything else there was a knock on the door. Three of the guards pulled guns, one went to the left side of the door, the other to the right, and the third stayed back and to the left. A fourth guard looked through the peep hole and then breathed in deeply. Deeming it safe, he answered the door cautiously.

"Good morning sir I am Andre, the concierge. We are here to setup your breakfast buffet." A man announced, though he was blocked from Sookie's view. Jamal had gotten up from his seat and sat next to Sookie on the couch nonchalantly. Al got up and walked over to the door.

He took a deep breath and he too must not have smelled anything wrong because he motioned for Andre to come on in. Sookie tried to get up to greet him but Jamal placed a hand on hers and gave an infinitesimal shake of his head. Then he did something that most people tried to avoid doing. He thought at Sookie.

_'Don't, let him come in and do his job.' _He thought_. 'You can greet him once everything is already setup, that way if anything...unsuspecting happens you aren't out in the open.'_

_'Fine.'_Sookie responded though it went against all her southern upbringing to do so. Jamal jumped ever so slightly at hearing her response in his head but he covered it well. He squeezed her hand once more before letting go. Apparently Sookie 101 was lacking because the fact that she could push thoughts into other's minds must not have been covered. To be honest, she didn't do it on purpose. It's just become a habit around Eric and Pam and Bill, that if someone thinks at you, you respond in the same way.

Andre walked in followed by ten workers. Three of them were carrying carts with upholstered chairs. One other was holding a flatbed with four tables. Three more came in with carts of food and drink. One other held a cart of linen-napkins, table cloths, cups, plates, etc. They were all followed by two others who were empty handed but got to work setting up tables.

Al had them set it up like a large L, so that the food table blocked the main door and the master bedroom door and the eating tables were setup as an L on the other side so that they blocked the second bedroom and extended behind the sitting chairs in front of the couch. It was then that Sookie had a true appreciation for how large this suite really was. The seating chairs had to be pushed to the side a little but it still wasn't all that cramped. She had less room at holiday time when Gran's house was abuzz with not only family but half the town. The swiftness of the setup seemed to indicate that this was something that was done quite often and that made her feel better.

In no time the workers were filing out of the room again and Sookie stood to greet Andre. "Everything looks great." She told him.

"Thank you very much Mrs. Northman." Andre beamed. He took a step forward but stopped when Jamal stepped behind Sookie. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, this is more than enough." Sookie assured him. "Thank you."

"You are very much welcome." He smiled again. She offered her hand and after just a moment of surprised hesitation, Andre took it with a firm shake. With another nod of his head Andre turned from the room.

The delicious smell of breakfast filled the room but no one made a move to start eating. Figuring that they were still hung up on propriety Sookie decided to go on and eat, they would loosen up on their own time.

"Well, I don't know about y'all," Sookie said as she walked over to the beginning of the buffet and picked up a plate. "But I am going to get my grub on. Y'all can stand there and look pretty if y'all want to but my stomach is calling to me something terrible."

She loaded eggs and sausage onto her plate and kept moving down the table. Jamal took a plate after her and began piling food on his too. Sookie grabbed a bagel and two cream cheese packets; she had never tried salmon for breakfast but decided to give it a try because it looked so yummy. By the end of it she had a little of everything piled on her plate. She sat her plate down in the middle of the eating tables before going to grab a glass of orange juice and a cup of steaming black coffee...life was good. She sat down but she didn't start eating yet. She waited for everyone else to get their plates and get a seat.

"Excuse me Queen," A voice spoke. Sookie turned to see piercing blue eyes staring at her. "May I sit in this chair?" He motioned to the chair next to her.

"Yes of course...?" She let her voice trail off in the absence of his name.

"Noah." He supplied her.

She motioned to the chair. "Have a seat Noah." She smiled sweetly at him. She would guess that Noah was about six foot even. His skin was paler than hers and she guessed that he didn't spend much time tanning; it seemed to be more of tanning from natural interaction in the sun instead of excessive. He was tall dark and handsome, as if he were in the wrong century. He had prominent cheeks, though they weren't excessively high, his lips were full and smooth. He gave her a shy smile as he sat and she saw that his smile was blindingly white. His black hair was slicked back and it looked short, but Sookie guessed that it was longer than it looked.

"Thank you Queen."

She let the 'Queen' slide as she turned to see if everyone was seated. There wasn't an empty seat anywhere in the suite. She noticed that no one was eating though. Jamal seemed to be reading her mind because he leaned over and spoke softly in her ear. "They're waiting for you."

Sookie nodded. She had gotten out of the habit of praying before her every meal, like she was raised to do, but she felt it important to start again. "I would like everyone to join hands with those next to you and bow your head in prayer." She said. "If you are not Christian, you may pray how you wish...if at all." She took Jamal and Noah's hands and waited a moment so that everyone else would be able to join hands too before she spoke again.

"Heavenly Father we come to you humbly, with our heads bowed and joined with one another by hand. I would like to thank you Father for blessing us with another day on this earth. I ask that you bless us Father and keep us safe from those who work against us Father, let Your will be done. I ask that you keep Your arms around this guard." She squeezed Noah and Jamal's hands lightly and they returned her sentiment. "I also ask that you bless this bounty of food that we are about to receive to help nourish our minds, bodies, and spirits, that we may stay strong in your service. In the name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit; through You all things are done, therefore we say amen."

"Amen." Everyone else murmured at the table. A warm sensation ran through Sookie as she let go of Noah and Jamal. She saw a few guards shudder though it wasn't cold in the room. A few hid their surprise and others looked around wide eyed.

_'Looks like someone has a friend.'_A voice sounded in her head. She turned to see Jamal looking at her with a slight smile. She didn't need to be a telepath to know that the wheels in his mind were turning 100 miles per hour. She didn't listen and he didn't add anything. She picked up her fork and began to eat, and a moment later everyone else followed her lead.

They ate in silence for a while before Sookie couldn't take it. "Noah, tell me about yourself." She asked.

"Yes ma'am." Noah said after wiping his mouth. "I spent ten years in the Marines. I was honorably discharged three years ago and I've been in the private sector ever since."

"How long did you work for De Castro?" Sookie asked.

"I didn't." Noah answered.

"Oh." She replied a bit surprised. She figured that everyone had come over from De Castro. "Then how is it that you've come to be with us today?"

Noah regarded Sookie for a moment, as if to pin point exactly how much to say. In the end he decided to just stick to the truth. "After the take over, De Castro's guard and actual fighters were almost completely decimated. Recruiting was done and my company was contacted to help provide support."

Sookie continued to eat as she thought about this. Exactly how many supes had they killed in the take over? She didn't know and to be honest she hadn't asked. She turned to Al, who was sitting diagonally to her right. "How bad is it?"

"Not bad Queen." He replied, though he didn't add anything more. Sookie turned to Jamal, who answered without prompting.

"Companies like Noah's are basically filler until you and the King can find someone qualified to maintain the positions permanently."

"Why were so many lost? Why would they be on the front lines instead of behind and directing others?" Sookie asked.

"Simple." Jamal said. "Would you have sent your people to fight while you stayed behind?"

"Of course not. I wouldn't ask anyone to do anything that I'm not willing to do. I don't believe in having someone else doing your dirty work."

"It's the same thing." Jamal said.

Sookie shook her head. "That doesn't make sense though. I'm not so easily destructible; I wouldn't be leaving my men without a leader. I won't pretend to know about battles and war and strategies, but from what I've learned from Eric, leaving soldiers without a command is a no no."

"This is true." Noah said solemnly. "But each commander only has so many soldiers and if enough of them are killed then sooner or later the commander will have to enter the war too."

"And try to direct from the battle field?" Sookie asked.

"Yes."

"And Eric and I killed enough people to weaken Nevada." Sookie stated plainly. Saying what none of them would say but all of them were implying, what they were all thinking. "This is our fault."

"No it's not." Several guards said at once. One of them stood. He was like Brad Pitt...twenty years ago. His sun kissed golden locks were pulled back into an unruly pony tail at the back of his head. He bowed his head respectfully at her before he spoke again. "You did what you had to do." He said. His voice was strong, sure, and deliberate. "King Northman did what he had to do too. There were lives at stake, many lives, and you did what needed to be done. You waged a war to the best of your abilities. King Northman has a great mind for war. He is an effective commander because under him, there is only one commander in charge.

"Under Felipe there were a hundred generals pretending to be commander and chief. Everyone was in charge therefore no one was in charge. Felipe was the kind of king where as long as his plans were carried out then he didn't look too closely at how it came to pass. A break would have happened sooner or later, and your revolt just came sooner than later. The current lack of combat ready fighters is not your fault. It was Felipes'. He didn't do what needed to be done to be an effective ruler and he didn't do what he needed to do in order to protect his subjects." Brad Pitt Jr. sat down and took a drink of his orange juice.

"What's your name?" Sookie asked him.

"Anthony ma'am."

"How long have you been with Felipe?"

"I didn't want to work directly for him, he was not an honorable man, but I refused to be pushed out of my home. I refused to be bullied. I wanted to stay away from him as much as possible. I was able to negotiate an agreement where I trained his were guards in combat, though I never commanded anyone."

"What was your job when you weren't training fighters?"

"Training fighters." Anthony said with a slight smile. Sookie felt her eyebrow rising in question in a very 'Eric' fashion. She touched her face and smiled at the unconscious gesture...she really had been spending too much time around Eric if some of his mannerisms were becoming her own. "I ran a training camp outside Las Vegas for Swat and other special forces of law enforcement."

"Ran?"

"Well the funniest thing happened. I cancelled my agreement with Felipe. He wanted me to pay him fees as if I were a vampire under his dominion. I refused and I cancelled our original agreement on top of it. I would rather fight him at every corner or just leave his kingdom than to become his bitch. I am no one's bitch."

"I hope you were going to leave because Felipe isn't one to take 'no' very well." Sookie commented.

"Funny thing happened." Anthony smiled. "I dissolved our agreement on one night, the next night my entire facility was burned to the ground. The night after my facility burned down a call went out, Las Vegas was under attack. At the next breaking darkness, Sandy was at my door and here I am."

"But you don't have to be." Sookie pointed out.

"No, but I want to be." Anthony said. "It's time for a change. This is not your home base and if you decided to keep me, it will give me a chance to travel. Nevada is still one of your states so I will be able to go home from time to time." He shrugged.

They began to eat again but it didn't go on in silence like before. The guards began telling her about themselves and as they spoke about different experiences they broke of into conversations with each other as well. Sookie listened to all that was said and she watched with a slight smile as everyone began to commune as one big group instead of two smaller groups. She watched and she spoke and she listened. She listened, not only to what was going on in the room but what was happening around the floors. She was shifting the focus of the guards, so she compensated for that. That is how she noticed a mind getting off the elevator, his mind intent on their room.

"Someone is coming." She said in a low voice...that _everyone_heard. Everyone quieted and looked at her. "I don't know who, their mind is intent on our room. Nothing violent, very organized. I would say he's another security guy." Jamal got up and walked to the door, with a small motion of his hand, Noah and Anthony along with two other guards were by him as they made their way around to the main door. Sookie stood, Al stepped slightly in front of her and another guard filled Jamal's open place. Everyone was deathly quiet.

There was a knock on the door, two sharp raps. Jamal inhaled deeply, scenting the air. His body relaxed a minute later. "It's Maxus." He announced. Sookie noticed that he had his gun out and didn't holster it, even with that revelation, though it made the rest relax. She also noticed that though Noah and Anthony holstered their weapons, they didn't secure them but kept their hands on them for a quick draw. Jamal checked the peep hole before he opened the door and stepped out the way of the new visitor with a small bow of his head.

Maxus was taller than Sookie, standing at about six foot three. He was like a moving wall in a tailored suit. His stride was smooth and sure. His posture was not only straight but rigid. His head was raised high and his arrogance poured off of him like a waterfall. Everything about him said "I am the boss, you can like it or you can get the hell out." Somehow when he walked in the room he was better than you and he knew it, you knew it, everyone knew it. His charcoal suit stretched snugly over the muscles of his muscle. His black shoes were polished within an inch of their lives and his briefcase seemed to have received the same treatment.

"What's this?" Maxus asked. His words were curious, but his tone was anything but and every guard got to their feet. Sookie stayed sitting.

"Sit down." She said. There was no anger or malice in her voice. She sounded like she was pointing a friend to their chair. The guards paused a moment before they retook their chair. Sookie stood from her chair, and again the guards stood. Sookie looked at them confused for a moment, but was careful not to show it on her face.

_'They stand because you stand.'_ Jamal's voice sounded in her mind. She knew that Jamal was trying to prove himself to her for a permanent space and at first she was skeptical but now she was thinking that he may turn out to be handy enough to keep.

Sookie nodded her head and Jamal sat and a half second later the rest followed. Sookie turned her attention back to Maxus. "You should come and join us for breakfast. The more the merrier." Sookie smiled, and tried to look inviting. She didn't want her first perception of him to show. She was raised better than that. She would be courteous to everyone until they gave her an actual reason not to be.

"No thank you. There is _work_to be done." Maxus said, though he wasn't even looking at Sookie. He was giving the security guards hard looks. "After all someone needs to look after our new king and his queen."

"The King is well looked after." Sookie said though her voice was a little short. She didn't miss his wording. _After all someone needs to look after our new king and _his_ queen._Sookie sat down and it didn't escape her notice that no one was eating. "Your food is getting cold." She said to them, and they began eating again. "Join us Maxus." Sookie said again, though it was a little less cordial.

"I really must decline." Maxus refused again. His hard stare now settled on Al and Jamal...still skipping over Sookie completely. "I need to find replacements so that security will be up to par."

Everyone but Sookie, Al, Anthony, Noah, and Jamal jumped to their feet. Several even made it around their chairs before Sookie's voice broke through.

"I said sit!" She all but yelled. Her power flowed through the room and several of the guards shuddered as it washed around them. Everyone sat hastily. She felt Eric stir, but she sent calm through the bond and he remained dead to the world.

Who the hell did Maxus think he was? He came into the room, not even acknowledging her properly and just began intimidating her guard. Who the fuck did Maxus think he was?! As her anger grew, her hold on the bond began slipping and small grey streaks appeared in her golden locks. This is what Eric worried about, her being dismissed and not respected. This was not about to fucking happen now. How easy would it be for her to just break his leg, that would heal...right?

Jamal didn't know why but something within him made him touch Sookie's hands, which were clasped tightly in her lap. As soon as his skin touched Sookies' her head snapped to face him. He could see the rigidness in her jaw and her eyes were different. They were the color of the sky with silver flecks that decorated them, now all the blue was gone and only the silver remained.

Jamal's mind acted as a mirror for Sookie and she saw the millimeter wide streaks that began to color her hair around the edges and how her eyes tinted from blue to silver, though her whole eye wasn't changed and her vision wasn't tinted. She was in control of herself but not as much as she would have liked it to be. For once she wished that her change wasn't as noticeable as Eric's, but beggars couldn't be choosers; besides she liked standing out. Sookie squeezed Jamal's hand and then released it and he pulled it back into his own lap.

"Who are you?" Sookie asked curiously. Her head tilted to the side and she squinted her eyes like she was thinking hard.

"I am Maxus, head of Nevada security in the day." Maxus replied, drawing himself up to his full height.

"Ah Maxus." She snapped as if his name had finally rung a bell for her. "We haven't met yet. Have you met King Northman yet?"

"Yes, I've met the King." Maxus stated. "I was a part of the guard that escorted King Northman back here."

"So you've met King Northman, I think that we should get introductions out the way. You are Maxus, head of security for Nevada...in the daytime. And I am Sookie Northman Queen of Nevada, Queen of Louisiana, and Queen of Arkansas."

Maxus bowed his head. "Queen Sookie." He greeted.

"Have you worked for royals before?" Sookie asked, carefully leading him to where she wanted him to be.

"Yes, I was in the process of interviewing for King De Castro before the take over but had not made it to town before the new regime. After the take over, I was contacted by Sandy and offered the job, only if I came immediately. I wanted to be in Las Vegas, so I took the job."

"And how do you find it?"

"So far I like it very much."

"And how long have you worked for vampire royalty?"

"I've worked the last twenty years, working my way up the ranks." Maxus replied with pride. He seemed quite content to speak about himself. "The past seven years I've been moving from kingdom to kingdom, retraining and restructuring the security so that it ran more efficiently."

"Wow, we must be very lucky to have you." Sookie said dripping with awe. "I mean twenty years immersed in the vampire world that's only been public for a few years...wow. I've only been in the supe world for a few years, and even then I tried my hardest to stay away from every vampire I could." Sookie laughed. "For all the good it did me."

Maxus smiled. The security guards seemed to relax a bit at the continuance of the conversation, happy enough they weren't in the middle of the tug-of-war. Of the guards only Al, Jamal, Anthony and Noah seemed to stay tense. Sookie already 'heard' what their issue was; the complete lack of respect that Maxus was showing Sookie. Jamal was close to breaking protocol and speaking out but Sookie looked at him. When their eyes met he seemed to understand. She didn't project to him, but he still somehow still knew and he relaxed in his chair.

"Vampire's scared the hell out of me, and here you are with twenty years in the trenches; with vampire royalty no less." She shook her head. "I bet you can teach me a lot."

"I am at your disposal." Maxus replied with another bow of his head.

"That's great because I have a question for you." Sookie said almost abruptly as if something just occurred to her.

"I am all ears."

"How do you greet a Queen?" Sookie asked wide eyed and innocent.

Maxus froze, but only for a moment. His mind swirled and Sookie listened as he mapped out different routes he could take and weighed his options. He opened his mouth to speak but Sookie interrupted before he could even make the first sounds to his words.

"I would choose your words very carefully." She warned and then continued in a more sing-song voice. "I can hear you."

Maxus eyes widened infinitesimally but that was his only reaction to her words. "I apologize my Queen. I was thrown off guard by seeing the guard so lax."

"The guard was doing as they were told." Sookie said. "And that excuse is not going to work for you. You don't get thrown off guard, you can't working in the vampire world, it would get you killed."

"I am glad you think so highly of me but I assure you that I do get thrown off guard. It is unexpected to see the guard that was entrusted with the safety of our King and Queen leaving them completely at mercy for the sake of a meal."

"Don't you mean your King and _his_Queen?" Sookie asked. "That is how you termed it earlier. You do not see me as your Queen Maxus?"

"Of course Queen Northman, you are my Queen. I owe you my allegiance." Maxus stressed though his voice was still calm.

"Maxus why do you not say what is in your head?" Sookie said. A small part of her noted that she sounded more and more like Eric, dropping her contractions now that she was pissed. "I would respect you more that way...or at least if you are going to lie, do a better job of it. Even now, after you have disrespected me, refused me twice, and disrespected me again by lying you still are not observing protocol. Say what is in your mind Maxus."

"Nothing but service to my Queen and King is in my mind."

"Come now Maxus. I am not a Queen. I am but a human that fucked the right vampire. I am a leech that has sucked his power and is now making three kingdoms bow to that same borrowed power. I am Queen in name only. Something that is to be protected for the sake of the King and that is all. I am but a human, trying to play Queen to vampires; just a human playing dress up." Several guards growled at Sookie's words, but she didn't pay them any mind, she stayed focused on Maxus. Despite looking calm and collected on the outside, Maxus's mind was swirling. His mind was like an organized military computer. Every thought and rethought was worked out and categorized. Even now he was trying to figure out a way to _handle_Sookie. Even now he thought he could somehow outsmart the backwater bumpkin. He'd spent twenty years serving vampires...she wasn't a vampire. Even still, there had to be a way to the other side, there always was. The trick to finding your way is to never lose you cool before you find it. There's always a maneuver to try.

"I have said no such things about you, nor would I ever do so." Maxus said. "I have taken a blood oath to protect and that is what I will do. I apologize for not yielding to traditional customs. I have put great faith in Jamal and Al as your personal protectors and they have left you wide open to attack. I expected more of them, but you are right. I know better than to lose my head. I know better than to get off track. I now know better than to leave them in charge of security. I assure you it will all be rectified."

"You will do nothing to them." Sookie said. "It is not your decision who stays and who goes. You will not take out your lack of respect on two that has showed me nothing but the upmost respect. You will not deflect this situation onto anyone other than you.

"You keep saying that I am unprotected, and that Eric is unprotected. Eric is my number one priority above all others, never forget that. I would never leave my husband or myself unprotected." Maxus opened his mouth to speak again but Sookie cut across him. "Do not even _think_about saying those next words Maxus."

Sookie stood and walked the around the table to stand in front of Maxus. "I know what's in your mind Maxus. I am not a vampire queen but I am Queen of the vampires. I am not Eric's shadow, I am his equal. I am not a ditzy blond with big tits I am your boss, but more than that, I am your Queen!" On the last word she let her power roll and fill the room. It weighed heavily on everyone.

Everyone fell to their knees under the weight of her power. She wrapped it around everyone and some of them fell onto their hands too. Her mind filled with pictures of herself through the minds of the guards. Sookie's hair was solid silver and her silver eyes were shining bright, though her entire eye still wasn't changed, they looked as if they were right on the brink. She got a firm hold of the bond so that no more would release and cause her to change.

She may have been able to keep herself from changing, but she wasn't able to keep Eric away anymore. She felt him stir in her mind.

_'What is going on Lover?'_Eric asked. Sookie let the morning events run through her mind. _'They are there to protect us, not for us to befriend.'_ Eric chastised her lightly.

_'You can deal with them your way and I will deal with them mine.'_Sookie replied.

_'True but your way arises problems like this.'_ He pointed out.

_'My way didn't arise this problem.'_Sookie shot back. _'This problem came premade because Maxus thinks that I'm fodder instead of a placer. He thinks he can get one over on the ditzy queen with small words and pretty pictures because anything bigger will make her head explode.'_

_'This is an issue.'_ Eric thought for a minute. _'I _could_ take care of this when I awake.'_

_'But?'_

_'But, unfortunately, you may run into the same thing over and over again. I think you should take care of it yourself. If you do then word will spread and that is what we need. We need people who haven't seen us transformed to have an innate fear of you like they do of me or else you will have to make examples of people over and over again.'_

_'Well that sounds easy enough...why do I feel another 'but' coming on?'_

_'Because you are going to have to hurt him Sookie.'_

Uh oh, he called her Sookie instead of _Lover_and she knew that he was serious. She didn't want to hurt anyone but she knew that he was right. She was going to have to hurt Maxus.

_'Not just hurt him, but hurt him in such a way that no one will challenge you.'_ Eric chimed in.

_'Do I have to cut something off?'_Sookie asked. Doing it during a battle was one thing but she didn't want to cut anyone up close and personal...and slowly. Fuck, what was she going to do?

_'I don't know but you are very creative.'_ Eric said. _'I can't wait to see what you come up with.'_

He was amused. The fucker was actually _amused_ as she fretted over how to torture someone. _'You can leave now.'_ She told him.

_'Na, I think I will stick around and watch the show'_ Eric laughed.

She rolled her eyes and turned back to Maxus who, like everyone else, was still on his hands and knees on the floor. What to do? What to do? She could feel Eric in the back of her consciousness, but he wasn't interfering, just watching like he said he would. She looked over to all the guards and was struck by inspiration. The sudden spike in Eric's amusement let her know that it was good.

She calmed her flow of power within the room. Everyone pushed off their hands but no one stood from their knees and absolutely every eye was on her. "Jamal?" Sookie called over. "Come here please." Without a word Jamal rose and walked over to stand next to Maxus, who was still on his knees.

"Yes my Queen?" Jamal answered her when he was in place.

"What is the formal greeting for when you meet your king or queen?" Sookie asked him.

"You kneel on both knees bowed at the waist, touching your rulers shoe or ankle unless their hand is offered."

"Can you demonstrate it so that Maxus will know what it looks like?" Without a word Jamal dropped to his knees, abasing himself, touching Sookie's ankle. She offered her hand and Jamal took it, kissing it lightly. "You may rise." Sookie commanded, and he did.

"Perfect Jamal." Sookie praised. She didn't have to but she really hated making him get on his knees like that. "Can you demonstrate the informal but still widely accepted, and preferred, greeting?"

Again, without a word. Jamal bowed deeply at the waist, his body became a perfect 'L' shape. His arms didn't dangle but stayed close to his sides. Sookie was reminded of when she first saw Eric greet King De Castro after the take over when De Castro surprised them as they spoke in the parking lot of Merlottes. She saved them from Sigbert that night. No one was going to save Maxus...pity.

"Perfect Jamal, you can stand." Sookie told him and when he did she continued to talk to him. "How long would you hold that pose?"

"Until acknowledged by your King or Queen."

"Lastly what is the public greeting for royalty?"

"Two greetings are acceptable." Jamal said. "If in a vampire establishment then a bowed head and a slight bow at the waist." He demonstrated it before he kept talking. "Or a deep bow of the head, where the chin touches the chest." Again, he demonstrated holding the pose for a few seconds before raising his head.

"Thank you Jamal." Sookie said. Jamal bowed his head to her again before taking his dismissal. Sookie turned back to Maxus. "Stand up Maxus."

He stood.

"You say that you are here to protect and not to harm. I don't believe this. Your disrespectful entrance was harmful. To make other's think that I am the weak link is harmful." Sookie held her hand out flat in front of her as if she were about to receive something. Her sai appeared in her hand from absolutely nowhere. She turned it around playfully in her hand until the blade pointed to her body and the hilt pointed to Maxus. "Take it."

He looked at her as if she were speaking a different language. Her eyes flashed completely silver and then back to just the silver pupils. "Take it." She said again, a bit harder. "I won't ask again."

Maxus reached for the sai, and even now his hand was steady. His body never betrayed the turmoil he was feeling within. As soon as it was touched by his skin it locked onto him. He tried to drop it but he couldn't open his fingers. He didn't have the sai, the sai had him. Sookie heard his thoughts be replaced by a high pitch humming as her sai vibrated in his hand. An immeasurable weight seemed to be pushing down on him in every direction. Maxus screamed, for the first time losing his outer composure.

Sookie focused her mind, repeating _not too much_in her mind. She held her hands up palms out towards Maxus. Her hair went from streaking heavily to turning solid silver. Her vision tinted silver as she focused her gaze on him also. Something told her that Maxus didn't mean her nor Eric any harm, he was just a pompous jerk. Her weapon had done its job but didn't release Maxus and not for the first time Sookie wondered if there was more of a connection between her and her weapons than she originally thought.

It held its grip on Maxus and Sookie pushed the power that was coursing through her body toward her weapon. She felt connected to it, like it was another outlet of her body. She didn't think anything towards it, it just knew. _Not too much_she continued to repeat to herself but that was to keep herself in check. Her sai gleamed. It wasn't a living thing but somehow it felt sure, it felt confident where Sookie still doubted herself. As Sookie pushed more power into it, the sai began to glow. A blinding silver lightning bolt erupted from Sookie's sai and wrapped itself around Maxus. Maxus screams grew and his body began to convulse. A silver mist appeared around him and seemed to lap at every part of his body.

_'Break his bones.'_ Eric whispered in her mind.

_'Which ones?'_

_'All of them.' He whispered back, careful not to break her concentration._

She wasn't sure when she agreed to do it, but some part of her must have. In the next moment the silver lightning didn't just swirl the writhing and screaming Maxus, but now it began to attack him. More bolts came out, wrapping around his body, then bombarding it. Maxus's body convulsed harder, it was under attack and therefore needed to shift to better defend itself but the mist was there and it continued to caress his body. Sookie wasn't sure she knew how but she somehow knew that it was keeping Maxus from shifting. Sookie didn't know how she knew it but she did...if Michael came, she would ask him about it.

Maxus's bones broke but it didn't sound like she thought it would. In the movies it's a sharp crack like breaking celery, but the closest thing Sookie could associate with the sound was like popping popcorn underwater. As the lightning bombarded Maxus's body his every bone broke rapidly. The bigger bones snapped with lower thuds and the smaller bones barely made an audible sound. Within seconds of the beginning, it was over. The silver lightning dissipated and finally left. Maxus fell to the floor as the sai released its hold on him too. His breaths were shallow and rapid as he tried to keep the small groans from his mouth. His body was trembling but he was no longer convulsing and the mist too dissipated.

Maxus was lying on his back with his eyes closed, besides his breathing, he didn't move. Sookie walked to his head. Her sai rotated in mid-air surrounded by mist and two bolts of lightning that circled around it like the nucleus of an atom; just as it did in the battle at Felipes'. That time she took it from midair, this time she let is float. This time she let it circle as she knelt next to Maxus's head.

"Maxus?" She called softly to him as if they were the only two in the room. She tucked her dress under her knees so that she wasn't flashing him. Though, to be honest, a potential peek at her panties was the last thing on his mind. His eyes fluttered open and they held all the pain he refused to voice. "Do you feel that?" She asked. He didn't respond out loud.

_'You broke my bones.'_ He managed.

"Yes, I broke your bones." She confirmed. "Which bones did I break?"

_'All...all of them.'_

"Out loud please." Sookie requested.

"Ugh, all...." Maxus huffed and then groaned. "All of them."

"That is also right." Sookie said. "Every bone in your body is broken cleanly in half. Everything from your toes to your scull. This is your first and last reminder Maxus. There is a reason I am Queen. If I were you I would try very hard to stay off my bad side."

Maxus didn't respond out loud, it hurt too much with a broken mandible, but she could hear from his mind that her message was duly noted. Satisfied Sookie stood and turned back to the rest of her guard. They all stared at her wide eyed. They had all heard the rumors but none of them had witnessed neither her nor Eric's transformation first hand. Now Sookie stood before them with silver hair that seemed to dance in the air of its own volition because there certainly was not wind to move it. Her eyes were also bright silver and matched her hair perfectly. Every so often a bolt of lightning would crawl over her skin; over her face, down her arm, around her leg.

Sookie took a deep breath and gathered her thoughts. Eric murmured his support in her mind as she readied herself. "This is me, the real me. This is what I am. This is what _we_ are. If you cannot handle it, now is the time to say so. You will be reassigned without malice. I can understand if it's not your cup of tea I am unlike anything else on this earth, but for all intents and purposes I am still human. I am not a vampire, but I am a vampire Queen. I am not a shifter but I am under the protection of several packs. Although I can read your thoughts, I cannot control them. I would prefer not to ignore you when you are here because that's just not how I was raised. I want to know who it is that's volunteering to take a bullet for me and my husband. Since I will be spending the day with you I want to know who it is that has my back. I won't ever ask anything of you that would put me, Eric, or anyone under us in jeopardy. I would not ask you to do anything I am not willing to do. You don't have to like me; you don't even have to respect me. I could care less, but you will respect the position that I hold. No matter what, whether we are in audience or in private you will respect the office of Queen."

No one spoke. No one moved. Sookie made eye contact with each man before looking at them as a group and speaking again. "So I guess the question is, can you serve a human vampire Queen or not?"

Again no one moved. It wasn't because they had to think about it but because they weren't sure how to answer. Did they stand? Did they speak? What did she want them to do? Jamal finally stood and walked around the table and over to Sookie. He knelt down on both knees in front of her. "I will serve you faithfully my Queen, for as long as you will have me." He told her before bowing forward and placing a hand on her ankle. Anthony, Noah, and the others of the guard that were assigned to her came and knelt next to Jamal, abasing themselves before her while repeating his words.

The rest of the guard, who were assigned to Eric and moved to where ever they were needed, stood facing her and bowed deeply at the waist. "My Queen." Was all they said.

"Please stand." Sookie said after a moment of listening to their thoughts. It warmed her that so many were willing to give her a chance. That's all she ever really asked. She had spent a lifetime being judged and looked down upon. All she really wanted was just a fair shake...they were willing to give her that. Her silver eyes shone with unshed tears. "Please get up."

They stood and Sookie smiled at them. She looked down at Maxus and then over to Al. "He can't be moved until his bones are healed or you run the risk of hurting him fatally. Just leave him there. Have the room cleared as discretely as possible. When Maxus is healed, he is discharged for the night. You will take his place until Eric wakes. Will that be a problem?"

"No Queen." Al responded promptly.

"And you will help him in any way he needs, right Maxus?"

"Mmhmm." Maxus replied hoping that his mumble would keep him from having to form actual words again.

Sookie looked at her watch to see that she was running very late. "Ugh I have to get going. If I leave now, then I will be in time to be very late."

"Uh Queen?" Jamal called as Sookie turned towards the door. She looked back at him. "Your hair and eyes."

"Right." Sookie popped into her room for a moment and back out. She placed a pair of clear Chloé shades with black lenses over her silver eyes. She then gathered her silver, still-dancing hair and pulled it up into a simple bun. "Problem solved."

"You're not worried about people seeing your hair in a different color?"

"A little but not really." Sookie admitted. "Changing hair color is a lot easier to explain than solid silver eyes. Besides, who's going to actually ask me about it?"

"Good point." Jamal conceded. "We are ready to go when you are."

"Alright let's do it." Sookie walked to the door but Anthony beat her to it and opened it for her with a slight bow. "Thank you."

"My pleasure Queen."

Their entourage made its way through the hallway to the elevators. Jamal walked on Sookie's immediate right. Anthony kept pace on her left, while Noah brought up the rear. Two guards walked behind Anthony and Jamal while one walked ahead to grab the elevator. They all turned towards the doors as they closed, and they quietly made their descent. As the doors opened the guard that held the elevator stepped out first and held it open. Noah, and the two guards by his sides, stepped out next creating a bubble of safety for Sookie to step into. As Sookie and the rest stepped out, everyone fell back into place. One guard walking ahead, five guards walking on every side of Sookie.

People looked at them curiously but no one spoke. Several were trying to place Sookie. If she were surrounded by that many men, who were obviously her guards, then she had to be somebody...right? Sookie smiled as some could have swore they saw her in a movie but couldn't place which one, so they were too embarrassed to ask. A few took in her designer glasses and striking silver hair and though she was perhaps a model of some kind. Or maybe she was just one of those rich socialites that jet-setted around the world on her family's dime. She could have been one of those that was famous just because their family was famous and not because they had any real talent, at least that would explain the time they were having remembering her name. All the possibilities made Sookie want to laugh, but she couldn't. She was a famous actress, famous-just-because-socialite after all she had to keep some decorum.

They walked into the spa and there were two women talking behind the desk. Sookie walked up to them, security still firmly in place. The women seemed to be fighting over something so Sookie cleared her throat as she approached to announce her presence.

"Hello Ma'am!" A short woman with a severely painted on tan greeted her with a big smile. "Welcome to the Mirage Spa. I am Tonya, how may I help you today?"

"I am Sookie Northman. I had an appointment that I am very late for." Sookie informed her apologetically.

"Mrs. Northman?" The second woman asked in a familiar voice. It only took Sookie a second to place it.

"Cynthia?" She inquired, though she was sure that she had it right.

"Yes ma'am." Cynthia confirmed. "It's so nice to meet you in person."

"Yes it is." Sookie agreed, offering Cynthia her hand. "I am so sorry for being late."

"Oh don't worry about it." Cynthia brushed her apology away as she shook her hand. "Did you enjoy your treatments last night?"

"Oh yes, I woke up feeling heavenly." Sookie beamed. "I forgot how much I love getting a manicure and pedicure. I find the whole process relaxing."

"I am glad." Cynthia responded. She turned to the computer. "Let's see, today you are getting...the Swedish body massage, and the customized facial with lip and eye treatments?"

"Yes ma'am." Sookie confirmed.

"Alrighty." Cynthia said looking at Sookie's face, scrutinizing her skin. "Mrs. Northman, are you wearing any makeup?"

"No, I decided putting it on just to have to take it off would be kind of stupid. Besides, I haven't been wearing makeup lately unless I have a formal event or something. Other than that it's usually just lip gloss." She admitted.

Cynthia leaned over the counter for a better look. "May I?" She asked, indicating Sookie's face.

Sookie thought for a moment but granted permission when she heard that all Cynthia wanted was a closer look at the type of skin Sookie had in order to modify her treatments. Instead of leaning over the desk, Cynthia walked around to stand in front of Sookie when she was met by an unmoving Jamal.

"It's okay Jamal." Sookie assured him and he took a step to the side without another word.

Cynthia stood about the same height with Sookie, though the sensible heels she was wearing were taller than the modest heels Sookie had on. She was also about thirty pounds heavier with a more ample bosom but slimmer hips. Sookie's legs were longer and her skin glowed darker and it was more pronounced next to Cynthia's alabaster skin. Cynthia's hair was bright red but was expertly highlighted with lighter and darker tones. It lay in straight, full layers on her shoulders and seemed to bounce with her slightest movement. Cynthia's makeup was flawless, perfectly blended and not caked on like a clown. She wore a charcoal button up shirt with a cranberry a-line skirt with charcoal pinstripes that fell to her knee.

Cynthia smelled of jasmine as she raised her hands close to Sookie's face before pausing, asking again for permission to touch. Sookie nodded and Cynthia softly grabbed her chin with her thumb and forefinger, turning Sookie's face this way and that. "Wow, I must say that in all my years in this business, I have never seen more perfect skin." She complimented.

"Thank you." Sookie replied with a small blush.

"Can you take off your glasses?" She asked.

Sookie hesitated for a moment because her vision was still tinted silver, which means her eyes hadn't returned to normal. She knew she couldn't let a stranger see her eyes so she closed them before removing her glasses.

"Even around your eyes it's great." Cynthia commented to herself. She turned Sookie's face this way and that once more before letting go of her chin and stepping back. Sookie replaced her glasses then opened her eyes to see Cynthia walking back behind the desk. "We can still do the customized facial if you like but I think it's unnecessary. How do you clean your face?"

"Just a Dove facial bar and water." Sookie answered.

Cynthia nodded. "The customized facial, we usually use for women who need to get their facial skin under control. With skin like yours I would recommend the _Sweet Red Rose_ treatment. It's used for sensitive skin but I think it will work well with yours because you don't need anything hard and abrasive. You just need a light cleansing."

"That's fine Cynthia, you're the expert." Sookie agreed easily.

"Alright Mrs. Northman. Since this is a last minute change. I will do the treatment for you."

"That would be fine Cynthia, thank you."

Cynthia walked back around the counter. "This way please." They all moved forward and Cynthia stopped, looking at all the guys. "Uh, I understand your need for security, but how many actually need to stay with you?"

Sookie looked to Jamal. She would have said that they all could have waited in the reception area but she knew that wouldn't fly over well. Jamal seemed to think about it for a moment. "Anthony and Noah, you are with me." They stepped over to him. Jamal turned to the other four. He pointed at two of them. "You two, roam the public hallways but be sure not to enter any rooms no matter what." They nodded and he turned to the last two. "One of you stay out here in the reception area and the other needs to keep watch right outside of the spa. Keep an eye out for anything suspicious. Everyone understand?" They nodded. "Alright, get going." They took off.

Cynthia would have preferred if there weren't strange men walking the hallways where men and women would be naked but she knew better than to say anything. She led Sookie and her three guards to the showers. The guards scanned the room before stepping out and allowing Sookie inside. Cynthia waited outside with the guard while Sookie washed away any salts minerals or chemicals that may have been on her skin. Sookie reappeared in a fluffy white bathrobe and slippers with her clothes and shoes and purse in her hands. Anthony took them from her without a word and Cynthia led them to an empty room with massage table.

The room was plain but was painted in warm tones. There was a small fountain sitting on a table making relaxing waterfall sounds. Sookie hopped up on the table as the guys stood against the wall.

"I will go and get your masseuse and I will be back with you." Cynthia told them before disappearing behind the door.

"Y'all know you're not staying in here right."

"Party pooper." Jamal pouted.

Sookie looked at him as if he were a puzzle she needed to figure out. He turned serious under her scrutiny. "Is there something wrong Queen?" He asked.

"Why do you act so familiar with me?" She asked. "We've never met before today."

He gave her a half smile. "Perhaps I am hoping you will like my sparkling personality and will choose to keep me around?" Sookie just stared at him, she wasn't buying it. Seeing that he tried again. "I don't know. This is me, Jamal...the man. This isn't Jamal Knight, security guard. I've never acted so normally on the job before, especially with a stranger...especially with a stranger that's a _Queen_. It feels like a compulsion, like I _have to_ be me with you. I don't know why, but I know I can't change it, unless you asked me to." He shrugged, not knowing how else to explain it to her.

Sookie nodded. "That's why you grabbed my hand when Maxus first started talking?"

Jamal nodded and then shrugged, he didn't know why he did it either but he did. Sookie seemed to understand this. She was about to ask the other guys if they're acting any differently than they normally would when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Sookie called.

Cynthia opened the door and behind her was a tall leggy blond woman that looked like she was someone's centerfold, not a masseuse. Her blindingly blond hair was pulled back in a tight high ponytail and she was dressed in white from head to toe, the only design was for the Mirage Spa logo on the front of her white shirt. She held a small stack of towels in her hands as she offered Sookie a confident smile. "This is Anon." Cynthia introduced. "She will be giving you your massage."

"Hey." Sookie greeted with a welcoming smile.

"Hello." Anon replied with a thick accent. Sookie recognized it. Anon was Swedish.

Sookie laughed and everyone looked at her funny. "Sorry." She said trying to get her giggles under control. "You're Swedish aren't you Anon." Sookie stated rather than question.

"Yes." Anon confirmed still confused about what was so funny.

"You're Swedish and you are about to give me a Swedish message." Sookie giggled again. Anon gave her a patient smile. She wasn't offended she'd heard it before. She walked further into the room and placed the towels on the table next to the mini fountain.

She picked up the top towel and turned back to the room. "Will we have an audience?" She inquired.

"No." Sookie said, finally getting control of herself. "Everyone out." Everyone left without another word. "Where do you want me?"

"If you drop your robe and lay on the table for me?" Anon asked. Sookie complied, hanging her robe on a hook to the left of the door. She hit the lock on the door before walking back over to the table and lying face down. Anon covered her with the towel.

"You wanted the sandalwood and vanilla scented oils correct?"

"Yes please."

Anon went to the cabinet and gathered the oils she would need and situated them. She dimmed the harsh lights a little and lit a vanilla candle. When everything was set she began the massage. It didn't take long before Sookie was relaxed enough under her touch to go to sleep. It was peaceful.

Sookie stood in complete blackness. She turned in a slow circle trying to see if she could notice anything, but there was nothing there to notice. A rush of wind blew behind her and Sookie turned around coming face to face with large solid gold doors. She could see these on the home of one of those gazillionaires that have unnecessary crap like diamond encrusted toothbrushes and golden toilets. Sookie walked around them but they were just doors. Nothing above or below or around; even still they had to have come from somewhere. She did notice that there were only knobs on one side of the doors. Not knowing what else to do she did the only logical thing, she opened the door.

As soon as it was cracked music began to pour out from the open door. She opened it up and inside was a whole different world. The walls were large stone and ancient looking. Torches and massive paintings decorated the stone walls. A great chandelier hung from a vaulted ceiling with close to a hundred candles decorating it. A black wrought iron banister in front of her that wrapped around the balcony. The balcony stretched around three walls and on the center wall the balcony gave way to a grand staircase. She would have been leery if she were alone here but she wasn't alone in this strange place. She had walked onto a balcony that had laughing people in expensive dress. It was a masquerade and everyone was dressed fantastically.

Sookie stepped forth and warmth covered her body. Sookie looked down and she saw that she was now in costume too. A cranberry corset covered her chest and stomach, pushing her ample breasts up. The corset shined and had an intricate flower pattern printed on it in the same color, only it was a flat color instead of shiny. The bottom of the corset fitted over a floor length skirt that flared out dramatically all around her in the same flat cranberry color that created the flower print in the corset. A short train flowed gracefully behind her. She raised up her skirt to find that she was wearing four inch red satin stiletto sling backs.

Sookie touched her face as she walked forward to feel that her eyes were covered by a mask of some sort. She was about to take it off when the party goers turned to her and bowed deeply. All the women curtsied and bowed their heads as the men bent at the waist. Sookie looked around to see that everyone on the balcony was kneeling. She bowed her head at the neck in acknowledgement to them and they rose. Sookie stepped further into the room and closed the door behind it. How did they know her? She didn't recognize anyone there. She looked around but still didn't spot a familiar face. The music and more voices seemed to be coming from below but there was nothing familiar.

She began to move through the crowd, which was easy because everyone moved out of her way. As she walked forward she spotted a large gilded mirror that seemed to stretch from floor to ceiling. She walked forward so that she could see what she looked like and everyone moved out of her way like water flowing down a hill. She gasped when she saw her reflection. Of course everyone knew who she was, there was never any question. Her silver hair was parted in the back. The top of her hair was pulled up in an intricate twist while the bottom hung straight down, still seeming to flow on a gentle, and nonexistent, wind.

She had a pearl mask over her solid silver eyes. The edge of the mask was lined with a thin, shiny black line. While the rest had a rose vines printed in cranberry. It was delicate and understated. It was simple. She loved it. Sookie's neck was covered in a mainly diamond choker with a black pearl in the center the size of a fifty cent piece. There was also black pearls sporadically place all around the choker; elegant black interruptions to the sea of blinding diamonds. Her wrists were covered in matching bracelets, both with three rows of diamonds with black pearls placed here and there. Her skin was shimmering and she seemed to glow in the candle light.

She knew that she must be in the dream realm, which means that Eric must be somewhere close. She tried to feel for him in the bond but he was blocking her. Eric was hiding. Sookie turned back to the revelers on the balcony but there was no sign of her husband. She walked forward to the staircase and looked below her. There was a sea of people below. There was a massive dance floor with costumed people twirling this way and that. A live band was setup on a small platform next to the dance floor. They were playing a fast song making the dancers twirl faster and faster together. They seemed to move in sync, everyone doing the same intricate dance with the men standing tall and strong and the women twirling delicately with their dresses flaring out dramatically all around them. Sookie thought that they should have crashed into one another but everyone knew their place, knew the dance and they moved like a well oiled machine.

She took a step down and everything came to an elegant halt. The dancers stopped twirling. The women curtsied deeply and the men bowed at the waist. Sookie froze, but no one moved, then she took another hesitant step on the grand staircase. She felt like the princess of her childhood that she would pretend to be. Her eyes watered a bit at the memory of the lonely child before she banished the memory. She would enjoy this. This was her dream, and she was living it. She wouldn't spoil it with memories of her sorrowful past, there's no going back.

Sookie took a deep breath and stood tall with her shoulders back and her head held high. A pleasant smile took its place on her lips as she grabbed hold of her full skirt in one hand and the wrought iron banister with the other. She began to walk down the stairs with the poise of the princess she pretended to be as a child, with the pride of the Queen Eric made her when he didn't have to, and with the precision only an Arch Angel could manage. Though everyone was bowed she could still feel everyone's eyes sear into her as they stole glances. She even felt the lust and pride of Eric bombard her through the bond before he managed to close it to her once again. She looked around but still couldn't find him. Though she couldn't feel him she knew he was getting a kick out of her not being able to spot him.

On the last few stairs, Sookie let go of the banister and moved to the center of the staircase. She stopped on the last step and looked over the room. The chandelier, that was impressive when she was on the balcony, was absolutely breathtaking now. The balconies extended further out than she thought. Large circular tables with elegant settings were expertly placed below the balconies on either side of the massive dance floor. Candles were lit everywhere.

Absolutely everyone was dressed in costume. Some costumes were elaborate, others were simple, and still others were so nondescript that Sookie could only tell what they were by the mask they wore...well, more times than not. Sookie nodded her head to the crowd in acknowledgment and they all stood in response, still looking at her. She smiled and stepped off of the last step. With that the music started back up and the dancers began twirling once again on the dance floor. She walked around the edges of the dance floor watch the beautiful yet intricate dance before her. She wished she could have a better view of what they looked like.

As if on cue a man approached her. He was a few inches taller than her with his hair pulled away from his face. The majority of his face was covered by a white mask. The small part that was visible revealed smooth chocolate skin and thick lips turned up in a playful smirk. His eyes seemed filled with mirth. He was dressed in a black tux with pristine a white shirt and bow tie. A black cloak was tied around his neck and as he moved she could see a blinding red lining inside. When he was two feet from her he bowed deeply at the waist. Sookie nodded and he stepped closer.

"Wow Jamal, you look great." Sookie complimented.

"How did you know it was me?" He asked, still smiling. "Did you read my mind?"

"I wish I could say it was something all interesting and witty, but the truth is that you're the only six foot something black guy with dreads that I know." Sookie confessed with an easy smile.

Jamal laughed. "Ah, how anticlimactic."

"Sorry to disappoint." Sookie replied.

"You're never a disappointment Queen." Sookie raised an eyebrow at him. "Sorry, we are in public."

"We are in my dream." Sookie pointed out.

"We are in your dream in public."

Sookie laughed. "I'm not going to win this am I?"

"Sorry." He held out his arm to her. "May I escort you to your seat your majesty?"

"Thank you." She replied, taking his offered arm. He led her around the dance floor and through the mingling people to a raised platform opposite the band that she was sure wasn't there before.

Two gilded thrones with rich purple upholstery sat above everyone else. It gave a great vantage point to the whole room. Jamal led Sookie up the stairs of the platform. When she sat he took his place standing behind her. Together they watched the dancers.

"Would you like something to drink?" Jamal asked her.

"Yeah, that would be great." Sookie replied.

"Champagne?"

"Perfect."

Jamal motioned to the crowd and a man dressed in complete black with a pristine white mask that had a nose that protruded out in the shape of a toucan beak. The white mask was startling and eye catching against the solid black of the rest of their outfit. It made sense to Sookie that they were dressed like that, making it easier to tell the help apart from the guests. He had a full tray of champagne flutes that were filled with the golden light liquid. Being a waitress herself, she could appreciate the skill it took to balance the glasses with the ease the waiter displayed. He came to the bottom of the steps and bowed deeply, extending his arm out so that the tray remained level. The champagne barely jostled in the glass with the swift movement, Sookie was even more impressed.

Jamal waved him forward and he climbed the steps deftly to Sookie. He offered her the tray with a simple. "My Queen."

"Thank you." Sookie said as she took a champagne flute from the tray. "You know that I was a waitress before I was ever exposed to the supe world."

"Yes my Queen." The waiter replied.

"I am impressed." Sookie said with a smile. She raised her glass to him before she drank. The waiter was shocked and froze in place. Jamal got his attention and motioned him away. The waiter backed away from Sookie without turning his back on her. When he was at the bottom of the steps he bowed deeply to her again and then disappeared back into the crowd of the party.

"You really should stop doing that." Jamal said conversationally after a few moments.

"What's that?" Sookie asked distractedly. She had already begun watching the dancers again.

"Stunning the help." Jamal replied. How will they be able to function if you are sweet and grateful and approachable?"

"Wow I'm a horrible person." Sookie drawled. "I should be ashamed of myself."

"You don't have to be ashamed. Now that you know you have a problem you can fix it." He quipped, making Sookie laugh.

They watched the party happen, still with no sign of Eric. Part of Sookie wanted to look for him; the other part was entranced with the dancers. She wished that she was able to do something like that. She was a great dancer but she was no professional, and that's exactly what they looked like. They were beautiful to watch, moving art. She could appreciate the show. She watched them as she sipped her drink and she was completely captivated.

"Do you wish to dance or just watch?" Jamal asked.

"I would love to dance, but I don't know if I could do that." She said motioning to the intricate dance unfolding on the floor. "I mean I probably could but I don't know how well it will be done." She laughed.

"Oh please, I bet you would be great." Jamal said with a confident smile.

"Yeah right. You get paid to say that."

Jamal laughed. "I don't get paid enough to lie Queen Sookie." Sookie didn't respond just tilted her head as if in deep thought. "You should go and have fun Queen. This is a party after all."

"Would you dance with me?" Sookie asked. "I'll go if you go."

Jamal smiled again. "I would love to dance with you Queen." Jamal told her. "But I'm afraid that that's a little above my pay grade."

Sookie finally turned away from the dance floor to look at Jamal. He took one look at her confused face and his smile turned from apologetic and regretful to blindingly happy in less than a second flat. She truly looked as if she didn't get it. Perhaps it was endearing that she still didn't sometimes.

He gestured to her and said, "Queen." He then placed his hand on his own chest and said "Bodyguard." He saw understanding cross her eyes. "I would love to dance with you my Queen, but as I said, it's not my place and quite a bit over my pay grade."

"Oh." Sookie replied, thinking on his words for a second. "What if I'm not asking my bodyguard to dance with me but my friend Jamal?"

"But I am you bodyguard and there is no way around it." Jamal replied. His smile had faded to regretful again.

"You can be my bodyguard and my friend." Sookie pointed out.

"Yes, but I am your bodyguard first and foremost."

"Fine then." Sookie huffed. "Just pretend that you have to protect me from all the other dancers or something."

"Nice try, but it would be highly inappropriate; and I don't want to do anything that may embarrass you or the King."

"This is just a dream."

"This is your dream, in public."

Sookie finally stood. "Jamal stop thinking about every little thing and just dance with me." She said exasperated.

"Is that an order?"

This brought Sookie up short. Jamal was looking at her curiously. He hadn't meant his words to be mean, but they cut her just the same. What the hell was she doing? She didn't beg for dance partners. She only wanted Jamal to dance with her because she didn't know anyone else and she wanted to dance with someone she was comfortable with. She could have told him that but she didn't want him to dance with her out of pity anymore than she wanted him to dance with her out of obligation. She didn't need him to dance, hell she'd dance by her damn self if she had to. She for damn sure wasn't about to beg Jamal to dance with her. After all he said it, it was above his pay grade.

She stepped away from Jamal. Seeming to sense the way his words may have sounded to her Jamal's eyes grew big and he took a step around her throne. "Queen Sookie."

"No Jamal it's okay." Sookie replied.

"But I didn't mean..."

"Don't worry about it, I would never ask someone to do something that I'm not willing to do myself." Sookie spoke over him. As soon as her last word left her lips, she turned with her dress lifted over her feet with her left hand and started down the steps of her platform.

Jamal called after her but she didn't turn around. She could feel him behind her but she just walked faster, hoping to lose him in the crowd. She didn't, when the crowd parted for her, he slipped though them too. Sookie walked straight on the dance floor. She walked between the dancers and they parted for her as if she were always in the dance and not an intruder amongst them. Sookie kept a firm hold on her dress with her left hand as she began to watch and then mimic the women dancers. After a few moments she was spinning in sync with them. Her dress flared out all around her and she lost herself in the fun she was having. The energy on the dance floor was wonderful and she didn't even care that she was dancing by herself.

She was twirling when a man appeared out of nowhere on the dance floor. She stopped dancing and turned to him. He was a few inches taller than her with a lean build. He wore solid white with a silver mask that covered his whole face. His dark hair was flowed around his mask. He was Hannibal Lecter. "My Queen." He said as he bowed at the waist.

Sookie hesitated for a moment and then decided to throw caution to the wind. If push came to shove she could always send him away and continue to dance by herself again. She nodded her head and they stepped toward each other. She put her right hand in his and kept hold of her left hand with her left. He placed his free hand respectfully on her waist and together they moved. He led her in the intricate dance that everyone was doing in unison. It was not without fault. Sookie stumbled a few times and they almost collided with another couple but Sookie laughed just the same.

The song ended and Hannibal Lector brought them to a graceful stop. "Shall we continue?" He asked her.

"Yes let's." She replied with a smile. As another song began to play three other men stepped up next to them and bowed. Sookie stepped away from Hannibal Lector and turned to the men. "Yes."

"If you will have us, we would like to ask your hand to dance Queen Sookie." One said. He was dressed in an emerald suit with the mask of a frog. The others were dressed as a panther and a clown.

Sookie looked back at Hannibal Lector but he spoke before she opened her mouth. "If her majesty wishes, this is an excellent song to have multiple partners on."

Sookie smiled at him. "Thank you." She turned back to her three dance suitors. "I would love to dance with each of you." They said their thanks and Sookie turned back to Hannibal Lector and offered him her hand.

He gladly took it and once again they were twirling. This dance was faster and more intricate then the first and she was lifted and twirled and dipped. She felt a tugging on her mind but she pushed the feeling away so that she could focus on what she was doing. She moved faster, trying to keep up with the unfamiliar moves. Just when Sookie was getting the hang of it Hannibal Lector spun her away from his body and she twirled around and around only to be caught by the frog man.

The mouth was cut out around his mouth and chin and the frog man's lips were smiling. He set them off immediately. His movements weren't as smooth as Hannibal Lector's but he was just as capable of a dancer. He laughed easily with her as they moved through the crowd. She was adjusting to his way of dance when he lifted her in the air. Sookie laughed but a memory of her dancing with Eric in Rhodes came to mind. She looked around the spinning room for her husband but she still couldn't find him. She reached for him but he was still blocking the bond. Sookie didn't even notice that she was twirling away from the frog man until she was looking into the black mask the panther.

The music sped up even more and everyone moved even more frantically to keep up with the beat of the song. It seemed that the end goal was to see who would be able to hang and who would end up spinning off the floor. There was no breath to speak as the panther man picked up the dance seamlessly. Everything began to blur in the peripherals of her vision. Sometimes their moves were a little awkward and it caused one to stumble, but the other supported them and they never faltered in their movements.

Before she knew it Sookie was being swung into the arms of the clown. Out of all of her dance partners the clown seemed to fit her the least. He was hesitant and unsure and Sookie still wasn't an expert on the dance, she was mostly following. Sookie stepped on his toes but it was all just a big mess. She was about to call it quits when someone took her hand away from the clowns hand. She looked up in time to see Hannibal Lecter spinning her away.

"Thank you." She managed breathily.

"Always glad," he spun her out and then back into his body. "To help."

They danced and laughed as the music sped up even more. He lifted her and they fell into comfortable step. They both seemed to get a handle on how the other moves. It wasn't perfect and they still tripped over one another, or themselves, from time to time but for the most part Hannibal Lecter was a good leader. He tossed her in the air, dipping her when she landed.

"Thanks for the dance Queen Sookie." He said as he supported her weight with his arm. They stood and twirled a little more before he rolled her into his chest so that her back was leaning against him. "Have fun." Before she could ask what he was talking about, he was spinning her away from him.

She figured she was about to meet the panther man or the frog man, hopefully not the clown, so she when with it. She twirled right into a hard, unyielding chest. Sookie was about to hit the ground when two arms wrapped around her body, holding her to the bare chest. As soon she was touched by this mountain of man, she knew who it was. It was easy to recognize him, even without seeing his face, he was a part of her. Eric had arrived...and she had just crashed into him.

She placed a hand on his pleasing pecks to get her bearings. She looked up to see an Egyptian Pharaoh, that she knew to be Eric. His golden locks were covered by a midnight blue head dress with cream stripes and hung a little past his shoulders. The head band part of the head dress that kept the piece on his was gold and jeweled with emeralds and rubies and beautiful sapphire. He wore a mask that covered his eyes that was gold with small emeralds and sapphires around the perimeter. He had a neck dress that was made of beautiful material that Sookie couldn't identify. It was tiled in emerald and ruby and sapphire and circled Eric's strong shoulders, and the top part of his pecks; she knew that if she walked around him it would continue around back.

She knew she was staring like a fool but she was caught in his blue eyes that seemed to be pinning her in place. She knew that the first thing on her agenda should have been seeing the rest of his costume. All of a sudden his blue eyes disappeared, only to be replaced with heated pools of molten gold. Sookie's breath whooshed out of her lungs when he opened their bond and she felt his every desire for her, leaving her completely breathless.

A soft tugging began pulling on Sookie's mind but once again she pushed it away. There was no way she was going to concentrate on anything except Eric at this moment. He bent towards her as if he was going to kiss her but stopped just shy of brushing his lips against hers.

"I can help you push the power back into the bond." She whispered.

A shudder went through Sookie's body but she still managed to speak. "I can't, I won't be able to explain it."

"Can you straddle the line."

"Yes, though I am more than willing to show you how well I'm willing to straddle..." She let it fall off and she could have sworn she heard his breath hitch.

"Sookie...." Eric said warningly then pressed his lips to hers.

Sookie kissed him will all the passion she felt for him. His tongue slid across her bottom lip asking for entrance. She moaned and with a sigh, granted him access. He pulled her closer to his body. She felt as if she couldn't get close enough to him. She raised her arms to wrap around him. As soon as Sookie's arms rested on Eric's shoulders he began to dissolve as the tugging on her mind got stronger. Dissolving Eric broke their kiss and pressed his cheek to hers, breathing heavily. Everything was disappearing all around them. She wanted to hold onto Eric harder but she knew it wasn't going to keep him with her. It was time for her to go...or for him to go...whatever, it meant the same thing.

"You owe me a dance Lover." He purred into her ear before pushing all the lust he held for her into their bond. Sookie's body spasmed, Eric disappeared, and Sookie was cast into blackness once again. The tugging on her mind was now undeniable; with Eric gone she let it pull her away.

TBC

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A/N: I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. The ending to this chapter isn't the original ending I had in mind for this chapter. In the end I wrote this ending because I wanted a ending that was a little more fun for Sookie. I still like the first one though, I mean how can you not love naked Eric? So everyone that reviews will be able to see the original ending. So please remember that reviews are like having the chance to dance with Pharaoh Eric. So review review review!

Also I just wanted to point out that the Jamal from the end of this chapter is not based on the real Jamal but is a representation of some of Sookie's fears. To be surrounded by people but to not have a friend, a true and actual friend is something that scares Sookie and this is one way that it plays out for her.

Thanks again. As always I am happy to answer any questions you may have for me. Feel free to PM me and I will get back to you as soon as I can.


	33. Chapter 33

A/N: Hey everyone. I would first like to say thank you for all the reviews. We are so very close to breaking seven hundred I hope that we could all shatter it with this chapter. I know that this chapter is shorter than my usual but I didn't want to make you guys wait to long for it so I broke it up.

To Laura BF from Spain, sorry I didn't get a chance to respond to your message, so I will answer now. Yes I will be giving Eric and Sookie a break for a little while I think that if anyone deserves to have some time to relax it would be them. I want them to have fun too while they are in Vegas. There is business they will need to handle but fun and relaxation is on the way.

Okay I have stalled enough. Thanks again everyone for all the love and reviews. Please enjoy!

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"Mrs. Northman?" A soothing voice called through the darkness, dragging Sookie further into the vast darkness. As if a light bulb went off she jerked herself up and onto her forearms.

It took her a moment to remember where she was at as the soothing candles came back into view. She had been dreaming again. Though the room had been dimmed her silver tinted eyes could make everything out as if the lights were on full blast. She was definitely going to have to talk to Eric about his timing, she wanted to pout. To think that she didn't get to pull her body against him in that costume. Oh that costume! What was he thinking? Was he trying to kill her?

"Mrs. Northman, are you okay?" Anon's calming voice asked as she touched Sookie's shoulder.

Sookie nodded her head and closed her eyes before turning her head towards where Anon's voice came from. "My glasses?"

"Right here." Anon pressed her glasses onto the back of Sookie's hand.

She covered her eyes once again with the glasses before sitting up on the table. The towel that covered her fell to the side but Sookie grabbed it and used it to cover herself. "Sorry I fell asleep on you."

"Oh no Mrs. Northman." Anon beamed at her. "You couldn't have given me a better compliment."

Sookie smiled at her. Anon really was quite soothing to be around. "Well your hands are definitely magic. I don't think that I've ever been put to sleep so quickly."

"Thank you." Anon nodded before she grabbed Sookie's robe from the hook and offered it to her. When Sookie took it she bent down and pulled her slippers from under the massage table so that all she would have to do is hop down. She began packing up her things as Sookie hopped off the table and covered herself up. "When you are ready I will walk you over to your next treatment. I believe Cynthia is going to do it for you."

"That's right. She said that since she made a change last minute she will do it for me." Sookie said. An odd look passed over Anon's face. "What? Let me guess it was going to be her all along." Sookie laughed but when Anon didn't join in she looked at her incredulously.

"Well usually she doesn't but every so often we get someone she doesn't trust to anyone but herself." She explained.

"Like me." Sookie stated. Anon nodded again before opening the door.

"Then why didn't she do my massage?" Sookie asked. She followed Anon through the hallway. The guards took their positions around the two automatically.

"Because that is my specialty." Anon told her. Her cheeks tinted pink and that didn't escape Sookie's notice.

"What is your position here?" Sookie asked.

"I am Cynthia's assistant manager. Her specialty is all things facial, mine is all things massage. I make sure all the masseuse are trained and up to date on the latest techniques and fulfill the states requirements to keep their license."

Sookie laughed. Maybe it wasn't funny, but to find out that you are being treated by the manager and assistant manager of an upscale spa was so ridiculous that it was funny as hell to her. She was a barmaid for crying out loud! It was all so absurd. She bent over as it became harder to catch her breath. Someone held their hand out to her and she didn't have to see the smooth chocolate skin to know that it was Jamal. She hesitated before grabbing his wrist. She took a deep breath and tried to contain herself. After another moment she looked over to Anon who had an amused smile on her face.

"Sorry." Sookie apologized. "It's just that I was a barmaid for years and sometimes it strikes me as to how far I've come."

Anon looked a bit confused but she continued to smile and didn't push for more info. "Of course Mrs. Northman." She began to walk again.

Sookie stepped behind her before her arm was jerked backwards. "Queen Sookie!" Jamal hissed. His words were too low for Anon to understand but Sookie heard him with the clarity of any other supe. When Sookie didn't walk next to her Anon turned back.

"Anon why don't you go ahead and we will catch up to you?" Sookie asked even though her voice made it clear that she wasn't truly asking. Without a word Anon nodded and kept walking. When Anon disappeared around the corner Sookie looked back at Jamal.

His face was passive but his eyes and mind screamed his pain. She looked down at his wrist where she was still holding him. She dropped his hand as if he had burned her. She couldn't help but gasp at what was left behind. A perfect imprint of her hand. It was already turning a dark and ugly color as it began to bruise.

Sookie gasped. "Oh my goodness!" She covered her mouth. "I am so sorry Jamal! I didn't mean to. I didn't realize that I was holding on that tight. Why didn't you say anything when I was hurting you? You should have said something, not let me keep on hurting you. What's wrong with you? What's wrong with me? I know that I don't have complete control of myself. I am so sorry Jamal. Please forgive me. I really didn't mean to hurt you!" Tears began to sting her eyes as someone else put their arm around her shoulders.

"Calm down Queen, he is okay." Anthony's voice soothed. "We know you didn't do it on purpose."

"That's right." Jamal said.

"I don't have complete control over my strength yet. It's still all so new."

"Please don't cry Queen, you will make me feel like a complete ass if you do." Jamal said. "You don't want that do you?"

Sookie looked up at Jamal with wide eyes to find that same mischievous smile back in place. She laughed breathily. Anthony stepped away from her with one last soothing pat on her back.

"Here you go Queen." Noah said as he handed her a white handkerchief. An honest to goodness handkerchief. Who carried those anymore?

"Thank you Noah." Sookie said with a small smile. She wiped it under her eyes, taking the excess moisture before it had a chance to fall. When she removed it, it was spotted with her silver tears. "Can you move your hand?" She asked Jamal.

He moved his fingers and then winced. "I would prefer not to."

"I could heal you." She offered.

They all noticed the stained rag but they didn't say anything about it. That didn't mean that she didn't see it cross their minds. She stuffed it into the pocket of her robe, hoping they didn't notice her haste.

"If it's all the same to you Queen Sookie, I would prefer it if you didn't." He smiled wryly at her. "If you're going to have to heal me, I would prefer to save it for when I am in dire need."

"If you're sure." Sookie said as she smiled back.

"I am. Besides, this will heal in no time...it's not like you broke every bone in my body." Sookie scowled. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

"Maybe you should try." Noah said seriously.

Jamal rolled his eyes at Sookie. "Let's get you to your next appointment."

"Okay." They stepped back into their positions around her as they made their way through the hallway again. "And sorry for being such a girl." Sookie apologized.

"You a girl?" Anthony asked mockingly.

"Naaaaaa!" Jamal finished with mock seriousness. Sookie giggled at them and Noah just shook his head at them all.

They followed Anon's scent to the end of the hall and around three corners to find her standing outside a door at the end of the hallway. She looked up at the sound of their steps and smiled sweetly at them.

"Alright, Cynthia is waiting for you inside." Anon said. "And if I do not see you again, it was very nice meeting you Mrs. Northman."

"You too Anon." Sookie said, offering her hand. "Den var mycket trevlig möten du alltför."

"Perfekt." Anon said with a blinding smile.

"I've learned a little from my husband." She confessed.

"Well he has taught you well." Anon said as she opened the door and left them to enter it.

Cynthia was sitting there smiling at them with a big smile.

"What did you say to her?" Anthony asked in a light murmur, his lips barely moving. "If I may be so bold as to ask?"

"I told her that it was very nice meeting her too." Sookie answered in the same low murmur.

"Mrs. Northman, you are looking mightily relaxed." Cynthia smiled.

"Yes, treatment by the heads of the spa will do that for you." Sookie smiled.

"Only the best Mrs. Northman, only the best." She gestured to the chair in front of her stool. It looked like a dentist chair...if a dentist chair was designed by Chanel. Sookie sat and Cynthia reclined the chair. Neither took notice of the guys as Noah stood next to the door and Jamal and Anthony left. "Ready to get started?"

"Of course." Sookie took a deep breath and let it go letting her whole body relax with it. She closed her eyes and removed her glasses, setting them in her lap.

Cynthia began working on Sookie's facial. "How are you liking Las Vegas?"

"Uh, I don't really know." She answered truthfully. "I've only been here a few days and I haven't had the chance to see anything."

"Oh well that just won't do." Cynthia chastised playfully. "There is so much to do here. It's simply amazing."

"I know I've always wanted to come to Las Vegas. It has been a dream of mine for a long time. I'm hoping that business will lighten up enough for me to get out at least a little bit."

"Oh yes. I have worked all around the world and I must say that I have loved it here in Las Vegas." She gushed. "I don't know about you but the shopping sealed the deal for me."

"Really? I love shopping."

"Then you will love it here. The boutiques are simply to die for." Cynthia worked diligently as she told Sookie about the different shops that she simply _had_ to try.

Sookie and Cynthia talked like old friends. Sookie found out that she was originally from New York. She was married for five years to a prominent designer until she found out that he was having an affair with one of his models. When they divorced she decided to travel. She's been all over the United States and Europe working in the finest spa's. She finally wanted to settle down somewhere. The Mirage Hotel made her an offer she couldn't refuse. She's been happily employed at the Mirage for the last three years. Sookie was surprised to find out that Cynthia was only four years older than she was.

"Do you miss the traveling?" Sookie asked.

"Yes I do." She admitted wistfully. "But I like having a home even more. Besides, I get to travel with this job. Seminars and workshops allow me to go all over the country. I have a good fit here."

"It sounds like it." Sookie said. Cynthia's mind was just as content as her words. Talking to her made Sookie miss Amelia. As she and Cynthia fell into silence Sookie thought more and more about her friend.

This is what Sookie missed the most, someone to talk to. Amelia was her safe harbor. She knew that sometimes Amelia could judge a little bit but that never stopped Amelia from being there for Sookie. Sookie had taken Amelia's presence for granted; she just assumed that she would always be there. She knew that ugly crap happened to her all the time but the fact that it happened to Amelia _because_of her filled Sookie with such guilt. She had to find a way to save Amelia because if Amelia died because of her...well, she didn't know how she was going to deal with that.

Octavia was a whole different story. Sookie already felt guilty when she and Amelia went missing because she had though Octavia to be such a burden at time. Octavia didn't drive so Sookie and Amelia had to constantly work around their schedules in order to taxi her about town. How many times had she wished that Octavia would find her way back to her family, or that her place was finally repaired so that she could move back to New Orleans, or even that some long lost love would appear out of thin air and whisk Octavia away? Well the burden of having Octavia had been lifted...she just wished it wasn't like this. Octavia was a wise and powerful witch and even if something was big and bad enough to overtake Amelia, the fact that they got Octavia too was very scary.

Lilith had them both. She had taken Amelia. She had taken Octavia. Sookie was scared to face her because she knew how powerful both Amelia and Octavia were. Yes she had new gifts. Yes she knew that she was an angel. Yes she knew that she was supposed to be indestructible but hell, when did had anything gone according to plan? Bill shouldn't have been able to fight Eric with his full shield, but he did. Bill wasn't supposed to be able to hit her hard enough that she flew through a wall. Bill wasn't supposed to hit her hard enough to draw blood. Whatever happened to being indestructible? Oh yeah. Gabriel never said she was indestructible. He said _"...that she would be impervious unless she consciously opens herself to danger."_ She never thought of Bill as a danger to her, not a real one at least. She had opened herself to Bill and she hadn't even realized it. Fucking Bill.

The whole Bill situation was so fucked. The darkness that surrounded him like their enclosures surrounded them. She could see the Bill she knew disappearing behind that blackness. Bill was suffering because of her. True when they were together he had ruined things himself even after she had given him chance after chance. The ugly truth was that if she were anyone else he would just be licking his wounds and healing from their lost relationship instead of being touched by the darkness of their enemies. She felt responsible for him. As much as he fucked up, he really did care about her and she really did care about him. He was the first man that she actually loved and was loved by. He was her responsibility. He was so much worse off than he should have been because of her. She didn't have a clue of where to start making things better.

That brought Michael back to her mind. She was planning on asking him to join her for lunch. She wanted to ask more about the gift he had given her because maybe she could use it on Bill. Did she really want to use it on Bill though? What if something more pressing thing came about? What if she needed it for Amelia or Octavia. What if she needed it further down the road when the battle with Lilith became more eminent? Should she let her guilt with Bill outweigh her sense about a more important use? Bill was so bad off. She wasn't sure how long he was going to hold out to the darkness that surrounded him. Could she let him die? Could she let the darkness kill him?

There were just too many variables. Michael said that she would know when to use it. What if she jumped the gun and used it on the wrong thing? Would she be able to live with herself? If she kept thinking about it her head might explode. She needed to talk to someone. She needed Michael.

"You know if you keep frowning like that you are going to wrinkle this beautiful skin of yours. Then people will think that we give wrinkles instead of taking them away." Cynthia's voice interrupted the silence.

"Sorry." Sookie said. She took another deep breath and relaxed her face.

"That's okay, just be careful. I have a rep to maintain." She joked.

Sookie smiled. "Of course. I don't want to ruin her street cred."

Cynthia laughed. "We are almost done."

"Okay." She replied. "Do you know what time it is?"

"Uh...it's twelve thirty-nine." Cynthia answered.

"Wow I was really late. I'm very sorry."

"No worries Mrs. Northman. You were our only customer anyway."

"I hope you weren't disappointed." Sookie drawled.

"Of course we were." She quipped back. "I don't know about Anon but I am definitely asking for a refund." She and Sookie laughed. "I honestly don't know what to do with someone who's not a pretentious prima donna with delusions of self importance. Yes I'm definitely going to complain to the management."

"You are the management." Sookie pointed out.

"Oh right." She pretended to think hard. "Then I guess you can relax and I will gripe and moan to you since you're the cause of all the trouble."

"Well at least you have a plan of action." They laughed some more as Cynthia resumed the end of the treatment.

Sookie relaxed again into the chair. She cleared her mind and focused on Michael. She didn't know how to call to him. If she was in the dream realm she would scream but she couldn't do that here. So she thought about him. She thought about his tall stature and his thick flowing hair; his handsome face that would put any model or movie star in the unemployment line. She thought about his broad shoulders with his well defined arms. She let her mind paint a picture of him; framing his extraordinary form in his classic Roman military garb. Before long her mind had a life size picture of Michael painted in her head. He seemed just as powerful in her mind as he did when he actually stood before her. His cool blue eyes were striking, and his strong features almost made it hard to turn away from his face.

_'Wait go back and tell me more about my eyes.'_Michael's voice spoke in her mind. The picture of him fluttered its eyes as it smirked mockingly at her, making Sookie smile.

_'I didn't think that would work.'_

_'You know you don't have to objectify my body just to talk to me _sister_.'_

_'You wish.'_

_'Yes, you daydream about all of us under the ruse of wanting to "talk".'_ He even made the air quotes on the side of his head as the picture she imagined at him became a walking talking statue.

_'You caught me Michael.' _Sookie rolled her eyes at him._ 'I want your hot body. I just can't help myself, please save me from myself.' _Michael laughed. _'Now who will tell Eric?'_

_'Well he is your husband.'_ He barely managed it with a straight face. His eyes were twinkling like she had never seen before.

Sookie was struck by familiarity. Them joking back and forth seemed like an at home place for them. _'Says the great General.'_

_'Well I don't know about you earthlings but we Angels believe in doing your own dirty work.'_

_'Wow way to make a lady feel special.'_

_'Lady?'_Michael made a show of looking around dramatically for the so called lady. Sookie imagined herself smacking him upside his head. He actually stepped back a few steps._ 'Wow, look at who's becoming so violent.'_

Sookie spoke rapidly though she didn't understand the words she was speaking. If Michael looked as if she had hit him before, she swore she could knock him over with a feather now. His eyes grew big and only then did she stop talking.

_'Michael?'_

_'Yes Seraphim?'_ He answered though his voice seemed a bit shell shocked.

_'Are you okay? Did I say something wrong?'_ She asked before another thought hit her. _'And while I'm asking questions, what in the world did I just say?'_

_'You don't understand it?'_ She shook her head. He took a deep breath and kind of shook himself. _'You called me the cowardly angel and that if I kept talking I would shut me up as only a lady could.'_

_'Do you want to tell me what language that was?'_

_'It was our language, the language that not even the other Angels speak. The language before languages that's kept between me and my generals.'_

She wanted to press it but she had a feeling she would get a headache so she just moved on. _'Look I'm almost done here. Can you come for lunch with me today?'_

_'What time?'_ He asked.

_'An hour?'_ She asked to see if it was okay. He thought for another moment before agreeing. _'I will see you then.'_

_'It's okay Sera, this is not a bad thing.'_ Michael told her seemingly out of the blue but she knew what he was talking about.

_'Then why did you call me by my whole name? Everyone on earth knows that's not a good sign.'_

Michael smiled but it wasn't happy; it was part sad and part wistful, and it made Sookie's heart hurt. _'I just thought you had remembered.'_

_'Michael I-'_

_'Don't worry about it Sera. I will see you in an hour.'_ Before Sookie could say anything else Michael disappeared. It was only then that she felt arms on her shoulders.

"Queen Sookie come back." Noah whispered into her ear.

"Should I call someone?" Cynthia asked in the background.

"No, I will take care of her." Noah told her. "Just send Jamal and Anthony in please."

"No problem." She replied as the door opened.

"Queen Sookie come back to us." Noah spoke instead of whispered now that Cynthia was gone. "Queen Sookie can you hear me? Hear my voice and come back."

"What happened?" Jamal's voice said from somewhere above Sookie's head. She could feel someone kneel on her other side. "Queen Sookie?"

"She was talking but then she got quiet. We thought she may have fallen asleep but now she won't wake up."

"Good job Noah." Anthony said somewhere from where her feet were. "One hour with you and the Queen is now comatose."

Noah growled before Jamal's voice cut over them. "Not now."

"Queen Sookie wake up." Noah urged her.

Sookie's mind seemed a little fogged but she was there. She could hear them. Now, if she could just get to them gadgets that controlled her body she would be in business. Talking to Michael seemed to have messed with her senses a bit but she could feel more and more of herself. She could feel her arms and legs and the rest of herself. It was like she had been pulled out of herself. She turned her head towards Noah's voice.

"You can do it Queen, come on back." He continued to encourage. She opened her eyes to be met by Noah's broad smile. "Welcome back Queen." He was visibly relieved.

"So serious." She smiled weakly.

"Like you're the first person to ever tell me that." Noah replied.

"Tell me, are you just trying to see how many times you can make our hearts jump out of our chest or what?" Jamal asked. Sookie turned her head towards his voice.

"What can I say? A little outer body experience can give you a flare for the dramatic." Sookie joked. With every second she felt better. They all laughed. "Sit me up in this thing."

Noah sat the chair up and she held her hand out to Anthony who was directly in front of her. He took her hand, Anthony took her left elbow and together they guided her out of the chair. She only swayed for a moment but easily regained her equilibrium. Sookie stretched before looking around.

"Sorry I worried you guys." She apologized as she took her clothes from Jamal.

"We are guys, we don't worry." Anthony said, slightly indignant.

She smiled wryly at him. "Yeah and I'm a ray of sunshine."

"Rise and shine."

Sookie made a face at him, which caused all three to laugh at her. "Okay okay, enough picking on me. Get out so that I can change." They left her alone Jamal and Anthony still laughing; even Noah had a small smile.

She redressed feeling like a million bucks. There was a mirror on the wall behind the door that she walked over to. Her skin was positively glowing. It was like a light was glowing from within her, even her eyes were glowing brighter. She felt so relaxed. A twinge of unease hit her as she thought about her interaction with Jamal in her dream. That wouldn't really happen right? The last thing that she wanted was to be surrounded by people but no one to truly call her friend. It would be like being back in school all over again. People, people everywhere but not a friend in sight. She pushed her negative thoughts away; after all, she wasn't the same person anymore. She was determined to never go back to 'pathetic' Sookie who couldn't buy a friend even if she had all the money in the world.

She smiled at herself again before replacing her sunglasses and opening up the door. The guys fell into place around her as they wound their way through the halls, back into the lobby again. Cynthia smiled at them from behind the check in desk where Tonya was now talking on the phone and typing on the computer.

"Excuse me?" A woman spoke as Sookie passed her. Sookie stopped and looked at her. "Did you just finish your treatments?"

"Yes." Sookie replied a bit uncertain of what the woman wanted.

"You look positively radiant." She declared. "May I ask what you got done?"

"Oh." Sookie smiled. "I had the Swedish massage and the rose facial."

"Wow, I think I will change my order."

Sookie smiled at her. "I don't think you could go wrong with anything they've got to offer here. This is by far the best spa I've ever been too." Of course it was the only spa she's ever been to but the woman didn't need to know about that. The woman thanked her and walked back over to two other women and began speaking rapidly to them. They all shot glances at her nodding appreciatively as they continued to whisper to one another.

"I thought you said that you've never been to a spa before when we spoke." Cynthia said as she smiled wryly at Sookie when they finally reached the front desk.

Sookie shrugged. "I didn't lie to her."

"I think I like your brand of truth." She laughed a bit more before speaking more calmly. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, this has been great."

"Wonderful, well the charges have will be applied to your room." She dug in her pocket for a moment before she held out a card to Sookie. "Here's my card with both my business and personal lines on there. If there's ever anything that I can do for you please don't hesitate to call."

"Thank you Cynthia." Sookie replied as she took the card. They smiled at one another before Sookie and her group left. The other guards took their positions around her as they exited the spa and once again braved the lobby.

Just like before everyone stopped and stared. Some people gasped and others whispered. Feeling a bit devilish, Sookie took her hair tie out and shook her hair loose. She whipped her head side to side dramatically before she ran her hand through her silver locks shaking her hand through her hair so that her hair danced around her head. She smirked as she looked around her to see the slack jaws and bulging eyes that surrounded her. She and her security guards never stopped moving and were about to turn the corner that led to the elevators when someone let out a soft "wow."

As soon as she turned to see who spoke, a bright flash went off. A man was standing in the middle of the lobby with a professional digital camera still covering his face. "Perfect." He breathed before taking another photo. This set off a frenzy. People who thought she was someone famous because of the guards around her became sure that they were right. Who takes a picture of a nobody? More importantly, why would a nobody need so much security? Camera's came out from everywhere and suddenly the room was filled with flashing lights and screams for her to turn this way or that.

Sookie gasped in surprise. "Anthony get the elevator!" Jamal commanded. Anthony disappeared without another word. "This is too much attention. We need to get back to the room. He quickened their pace as the bubble that was around them became smaller and smaller. They tightened their form around Sookie, moving flawlessly with her. She all but leapt into the elevator as Jamal and Anthony created a shield, keeping anyone else from getting onto the elevator. The closing doors granted them a reprieve from the strobe light of camera's and the screaming voices bidding her to look their way.

Jamal pressed the button for their floor but no one spoke. Sookie was in shock. She couldn't believe that she could be mobbed like that...by people who **didn't even know who the hell she was!**Her heart pounded in her chest and her breaths were coming in short pants. What. The. Hell. She didn't know if it was her shock at what happened but seeing the reflection of the guards faces in the elevator door struck Sookie as overly hilarious. She abruptly burst into laughter. Not small, dainty, reserved titters (yes titters) but gut bursting, side splitting guffaws. All the guards looked at her as if she had lost her mind. None of them could decide whether to laugh with her or what. Jamal was the first to recover.

"You just had to go Tyra Banks out there didn't you?" He asked with that ever present smirk.

"I-don't-know-what-you-mean." She replied as she struggled to get enough breath to form each word. The bell dinged on their floor before Jamal could respond and they made their way down to their door, where Al was waiting on them.

"Your Majesty what happened?" He asked as he opened the door for her.

"How did you know that something happened?" She asked. This barely happened, how was he so informed?

"We have a man in security." Al stated simply. "He called me when you were mobbed."

"Oh." She replied feeling like the smartest woman on the earth. She walked towards her and Eric's door. "Jamal will you fill him in please? I need to get ready for my guest and check on Eric." She asked.

"Of course Queen. I will, and I have also put your guest on the list."

Sookie tried to suppress her giggles but she couldn't control the smile that lit her face. "Thank you Jamal."

"Well it all started when Queen Sookie decided to go supermodel on us in the lobby...." Sookie heard Jamal say before she closed the door to the bedroom.

She decided to jump in the shower since she didn't take a shower after her massage. As the hot water flowed over her skin she felt tension leave her body that she didn't even know was there. What was she thinking down there? The simple answer was that she wasn't. She heard how hard they were working to figure out who she was and she just wanted to have some fun. That frenzy was not fun...at all. She knew that she wouldn't do that again. She turned off the water and then stepped out the shower, drying her skin thoroughly before wrapping it around herself and grabbing another to wrap up her dripping hair. She walked over to the mirror over the sink, using her hand to wipe off the condensation, she stared at her silver reflection in the mirror.

She looked so relaxed and she just had to smile at herself. Her skin was luminous and her silver eyes were mysterious. She looked as if she had a secret that she knew you would love to know. She took the towel off her hair and once again it flowed around her as if she were underwater. She really did love that effect though she knew that it was attention grabbing. Though she didn't want to she secured it in a french twist before going back into the bedroom. She donned a pair of hot pink laced panties with a matching bra and then sat on the edge of the bed and lotioned her entire body. She marveled at how her skin felt like silk. Eric was going to love it...though there wasn't anything he didn't love about her body.

Just thinking about Eric put a smile on Sookie's face. Looking at the alarm clock next to the bed she saw she had just under thirty minutes before Michael arrived. She looked over at Eric's sleeping form and decided she had more than enough time to get ready. She crawled up the bed and up Eric's body and nudged him until he was laying flat on his back. She straddled him as she leaned down, rubbing her chin against his, and burying her nose in his golden locks. She groaned at his enticing scent. She never could pin it down but whatever it was it was mouthwatering. She peppered his temple and cheek with butterfly kisses, slowly making her way to his full and tempting lips. Sookie brushed her lips over his once, twice, three times before kissing him soundly. Moaning at the way he tasted she ran the tip of her tongue lightly over his lips. She then went to the other side of his face and kissed his temple before repeating it all over again.

Slowly she placed chaste kisses on Eric's chin, and his neck his pecks before she bit lightly on his nipples. She made her way down his torso, using her tongue to trace the outline of his six pack before she came to that panty wetting 'V' that always led her to where she wanted to be most. She continued to move down to her treasure and stopped to explore it. Even flaccid, Eric penis was more impressive than any Sookie had seen before. Hell he was even more impressive than anyone she had seen in her mind. She inhaled deeply and blew her warm breath over his dick and she could have sworn that she saw it twitch in reaction. She looked up, only to find Eric still dead to the world. Good, she had more fun to have.

She grabbed him lightly in one hand then licked him in one long wet stroke from the base to its head, making sure to swirl her tongue around the tip. She did this, going all around his penis, until it was completely coated by her tongue. She blew on the tip again and felt it actually twitch in her hand. With a smirk Sookie took Eric into her mouth, going down farther than she ever had before. His dick was pliable in her hands and mouth, making it easier to get him further down her throat. She couldn't help the moan that erupted in her already full mouth but it made Eric's cock twitch again and slowly begin to grow. She pumped her head up and down on him with a relentless pace. And he grew more and more with each stroke of her hot mouth. As he grew she was able to take less of him in but used her hand to cover what she couldn't fit in her mouth.

Her free hand massaged his scrotum. She relaxed her throat and took Eric in as far as she could, holding a moment with him buried deep in her mouth. Sookie was so focused on what she was doing that she didn't notice Eric's hand move on the bed before he pulled out the clip that held her hair in place and twined his fingers into her silver locks.

"Mmm my Lover." He moaned. "I love being buried in your pretty little mouth ungh!" Sookie pulled her head all the way off of Eric, letting him come out of her mouth with an audible pop before twirling her tongue around his head and spearing him back in as far as she possibly could. "Fuck Sookie!" Eric growled as he tightened his hand in her hair, though he let her set her own rhythm.

She was determined to go for the gold as she continued with the best blow job ever. Again she pulled him out of her mouth but this time she nibbled and kissed her way down his shaft lightly making Eric's head thrash from side to side as a loud purr erupted from his chest. When she reached the base of his cock she took his entire scrotum into her mouth, using her tongue to massage each testicle, while she continued to pump his cock in her hand. She created a suction with her mouth sucking them in before relaxing and letting them come as far as her lips before creating the suction again and sucking them right back into her mouth again.

"Sookie...." He purred with a light tug of her hair as he tried to keep it together. He wanted to prolong this experience for as long as he could but she was pushing his restraint like no other. She moaned in appreciation, loving it when he pulled on her hair. The vibrations were almost too much for Eric. "Fuck Sookie! I want to be inside you when I cum." Just those words made Sookie moan again in anticipation, causing Eric to growl. "Sookie!" He warned.

She created a suction with her mouth again as she let his jewels fall from her mouth. She looked up at him with a devious smile before she plunged her mouth onto his dick with a new hunger. She moved her free hand back to his jewels to squeeze and massage them lightly as she picked up an inhuman pace with her mouth. Eric let out a strangled sound as he tried to continue holding out but Sookie wasn't having it. She relaxed her throat and took him in as far as she could as she tugged lightly on his jewels. She brought her head up slowly, scraping her teeth lightly over his shaft and repeated the motions all over again. When she took him in a third time she moaned her pleasure and Eric couldn't hold out anymore. He exploded deep inside her mouth in long spurts with a harsh growl of her name on his lips. Sookie drank everything he gave her as she continued to milk his now sensitive cock. When she was sure she got all he had to offer, she released his semi-hard cock with a loud pop and smiled sweetly at him.

"Has anyone ever told you that you taste mmm-mmm good?" She asked him curiously.

Eric barked out a loud laugh as he pulled her up on top of him and then kissed her soundly. "The things you say my Lover...." He let his sentence trail off there before kissing her again. "If that is how you are going to wake me up every night, I think I just may have to keep you around for a while." He joked.

"I'd be happy to earn my keep King Northman." She said with all the mock innocence she could muster.

Eric growled and flipped them over so that he was pinning her body to the bed. "In that case I think you should start your earning your keep right now." He declared as he inhaled deeply at her thudding pulse in her neck.

"Sorry your majesty." Sookie replied, trying to keep from laughing. "It's still the middle of the day and you need to sleep. I was just trying to bide my time before Michael arrives."

"Were you now?" Eric asked as he began to nibble his was up her neck. He used one of his legs to part hers as he settled himself over his personal heaven. He groaned at all the moisture and heat that was radiating off her core. She wrapped her legs around his waist pulling him closer. "I think you may be late for your appointment Lover." He told her as his hand found her barely there panties and ripped them from her body.

"Eric!" She gasped as he plunged deeply into her depths. He slowly eased out and pushed back in until he was fully seated in his personal haven and heaven. They both moaned a soft "fuck" when he settled inside her completely.

Sookie began to roll her hips, grinding into him but Eric grabbed hold of her to still her movements. "No." He growled. "Slow." He pulled almost all the way out of her before slowly thrusting back in.

His rhythm was slow and firm. He kissed Sookie deeply and they explored one another's mouth. She could feel every inch of him. Every time he thrust back in Sookie would flex and clamp her muscles firmly down on him, making them both groan. Their bond was ripped completely open and they filled each other with their love and desire and their happiness. Sookie lost control first and her silver enclosure erupted around them both. Eric's beautiful blue eyes disappeared, only to be replaced by bright solid gold orbs. He began to grind into Sookie each time he thrust into her hot, tight wetness.

"Eric." Sookie gasped as a familiar tightness curled into her stomach. Eric's pace didn't increase but he knew what she meant...what she wanted. He pushed all his love into her, sending her screaming his name over the edge. He gritted his teeth to keep himself from coming right there with her but with the tension his golden enclosure exploded around them both. He wanted to coax another orgasm out of her luscious body before he found his own release. He growled as her body clamped down on his tightly but he kept his pace. The only change he made was to thrust into her a little more firmly as her orgasm and flexing muscles had made her almost impossible to move within. As she slowly came back down from her high Eric moved her left leg from around his waist to over his shoulder, granting him even deeper access to her body.

"Ah Eric...no one...so good...love ahhhh!" Was all she could manage when she tried to tell him how she made her feel.

They continued to make love with one another with soft kisses and gentle nibbles. They stared into one another's eyes as they poured their feelings into each other. They both felt that no matter how much love and desire they pushed into the other, it was still a pale comparison for what they truly felt for one another.

If they had eyes for anything else besides one another, they would have seen that both of their enclosures had become completely opaque. It was so dense that no one, not even a supe, would have been able to see through them. Gold and silver lightning bolts raced around the spheres, striking out randomly. The staff from Zeus glowed from its position where Eric had left it connected to the floor and ceiling. It drew every bolt that flew off their enclosures to it. The intricate markings and ancient symbols glowed gold and silver with every strike. The rod was luminous with the energy it absorbed from Eric and Sookie...but they were too busy to notice.

"Oh god Eric." Sookie moaned as her breath began to shallow again. Her heart rate was off the charts and the muscles in her stomach began to tighten.

Feeling her body tighten around him again he knew that he almost had her again. Eric kissed Sookie nibbling his way across her cheek. He purred huskily in her ear before biting gently behind her ear where he knew her weak spot was. Sookie's whole body shuddered under Eric as he brought her to the brink.

"I love you Sookie." He whispered. Before Sookie could even open her mouth try and reply she felt a sharp sting as Eric sank his fangs into an artery at the base of her neck.

"EEERRRRIIIIIIIIIC!" She cried out as she came almost violently.

Eric growled harshly as he came but he kept drinking the ambrosia of Sookie's blood, bringing them to another orgasm just by drinking. The sting of Sookie's teeth cutting into his shoulder pushed them over again. Huge bolts struck out in every direction with every pull that either took. Small sparks flew off it every time a really large bolt would hit or when two would hit at the same time. True to his word, the rod from Zeus attracted and contained every last one of their gold and silver lightning bolts.

As they drank from one another the a low rumble began and not only the room but the whole building began to shake. Neither broke away from the other but they each adjusted and let their power roll off of them, releasing it from their enclosures. It was like letting water roll over them instead of trying to hold onto it with their hands...or in their case their enclosures. Their silver and gold enclosure grew slightly less dense as their power just washed away from them instead of swirling around them.

If the guards couldn't already hear what was going on in the room the screams and the rush of power that settled over them left no doubt in anyone's mind. It wasn't uncomfortable per se just heavy...and most definitely something they were going to have to get used to. Power seemed to stoke their inner beasts, whatever that beast may have been. A few of them where caught off guard and let their eyes bleed completely black, or whatever other respective color, with the beginning signs of their change before they got a handle on themselves. It felt as if the King and Queen had draped themselves over them all, embracing them. It was warm and safe and loving on one hand but on the other it was strong and protective and calculating. It was hard for them to put it into words so none of them did, but as they met each other's eyes they knew that they all were feeling it. It pressed in on them from all sides as if it could actually enter them instead of just flowing around them but that would be too impossible and they wrote it off as them being so close to the sources of the power.

Eric wrenched himself away from Sookie's neck breathing like an asthmatic chain smoker and Sookie released his shoulder only to bite down again on his left nipple. He roared loudly and his previously soft stroking hips rammed into Sookie once, twice, three times with all the force he could muster before he came again with a vengeance. Happy, Sookie unlatched from Eric's nipple and licked the droplets of his blood away from the wound she made. She was smug and extremely self satisfied. She knew that she could get him to orgasm again by biting and feeding from his nipple, and in doing so proving to them both that she knew his body just as well as he knew hers.

"You don't play fair Lover." Eric said as he leaned down to lick the wound he made on her neck.

"It's okay." She replied, cleaning his shoulder. "I'm sure you will make me pay for it later."

He laughed as he fell to the bed beside her. "You have no idea."

They felt a tingling pull on their mind and they both looked to the left of the room, even though there was nothing there to see. "What is that?"

"If feels like when one of us is trying to gain the attention of the other when our mental barrier is up." Eric answered.

Sookie thought on that for a moment before she jumped out of bed. "Shit Eric!" She said as she sprinted for the bathroom.

"What is it?" He called after her.

"It's Michael!" She yelled back as she turned on the shower full blast and washed herself as fast as she could before jumping out. She had a towel wrapped around her still silver hair and was still drying her naked body with a large bath towel when she went to the drawer and pulled out another lace bra and panty set, this time they were snowy white. She pulled on a pair of white wide cut slacks with a berry colored silk tank top. It was light with exaggerated ruffle details on the front. She tucked the silk tank into her pants before buttoning them. She tossed a glittery black clutch onto the bed while she fastened a pair of glittery black sandals with a three inch heel around her ankle. She put on a matching extra thick black glittery belt that was partially covered by her shirt in the front as she made her way back into the bathroom raising her arms in the air so that her shirt wouldn't tug on her. She grabbed another clip and once again pulled her silver hair back into a simple twist before she walked out to find Eric sitting against the head board of the bed with a bemused expression on his face. "What's with the face?" She asked as she walked back over to the dresser to find some simple earrings to wear.

"You." He answered simply.

"What you like seeing me rushing around trying to get dressed?" She asked rolling her eyes as she put in a pair of studs with a black rock that Pam had informed her were diamonds. She stepped back to the full length mirror that hung on the back of the closet door. The belt seemed to be too much so she took it off and was satisfied after that. She stepped back into the bathroom to apply a little eye shadow and lip gloss. When she came back out Eric still hadn't answered her and she put her hand on her hip when she saw him trying to suppress his laughter.

"No." He finally said when he could speak without the threat of laughing at her. "I like seeing you move faster than a vampire or any supe I know as you rush around to get dressed while you are still fully powered up." He clarified and then he stopped trying to hide his laughter and roared with amusement.

"What are you-" She stopped mid sentence when she raised her hand to see that her silver enclosure was indeed pulled close to her body. She hadn't even noticed.

"You managed to do thirty minutes worth of dressing in less than two." He said as he calmed down. "You didn't break anything in the bathroom did you?" She was still speechless so she just shook her head. "That's what I thought."

"And you find this funny?" She asked when she regained her voice.

"I find it funny seeing you doing it because I knew it was subconscious for you and I knew that it would be funny when I pointed it out to you...which it was. You should have seen your face."

"Don't you have to go back to bed? It is still the afternoon." She pointed out to him. He was in front of her in the next moment.

"Aw Lover don't be sore...at least not for that reason." He stepped closer to her and lowered his mouth to her hear. "If you want to be sore then all you have to do is say the word. Your wish will be my command and I promise to make it more fun than you doing something that's supposed to be natural for you."

Sookie shivered. "Michael." She managed.

"He will understand." Eric crooned as he grazed his nose lightly on the juncture where her neck and shoulder met causing goose bumps to spring forth.

His satisfaction at her body's reaction cleared her mind and she stepped back from him, trying to take another breath. "I believe Michael has waited long enough. Besides, I'm the one that asked him to come. So go on and lay back down and sleep like a good little vampire."

Eric was a blur as he moved around her. His body was just barely separated from hers but that didn't stop the sparks from flying from her enclosure to his and his back to hers. "Vampire? Through and through. Good? Hardly. Little? Not even on the coldest winter's day. Shall I show you?" He blew on her neck making her shudder again.

"Eric." Sookie whisper, because that's all her voice would allow. She wasn't sure if she was telling him to stop or keep going but she wanted him to do one...and soon. He made the decision for her.

"Fine I will go to bed but only because it will be a long night." He moved to stand back in front of her and lowered himself until they were eye level. "You have my word on that."

With a devious smirk he turned away and strutted back over to the bed slowly, making sure to give here a tempting look at her favorite feature. He leaned against the head board again not bothering to get under the covers. Little Eric was standing tall, wanting to be counted and Eric didn't ignore him. He took his hard cock in his hand and slowly began to stroke himself. He watched as Sookie's eyes dilated and her breathing became shallow. A low purr erupted from his chest as he swirled his palm over the head of his dick, making it twitch in his hand.

"Mmm, Lover, so good." He groaned as he picked up his pace a bit. "Come join me Sookie."

She shook her head trying to find a pathway through the haze of lust because watching Eric get himself off was doing something terrible to her. She had never watched a man...self love before and Eric made it so very erotic. She wanted nothing more than to fling her body back on the bed and ride him until she made him scream her name.

"Sookie...mmm." Eric tossed his head to the side dramatically as he began to move his hips in time with his hand. "Make me scream your name Sookie. Don't you want to see if you can bend me to your mercy?" He was tempting her with her own thoughts and they both knew it, but it didn't make it any easier on Sookie to take another step towards the do.

How could she let such excellence as Eric's gracious plenty go to waste? What was that saying? A hard gracious plenty is a terrible thing to waste...or something to that effect. Just watching Eric made her wet all over again. She knew she had to get out of there while she had the chance but her body seemed so unwilling to move. She knew that Eric was using the fact that their shields between each other to his advantage, but it didn't seem to matter. She knew that he was just trying to see how much he could push her but she didn't care. What the hell? There were worse ways to spending your afternoon than sexing down your Viking husband.... She took a step towards the bed and Eric couldn't help his satisfied smirk. Sookie was about to take another step when she felt a stronger pull on her mind.

Eric froze and they both looked at the door of the bedroom. Michael was already there.

TBC

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Okay I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. Please review review review! As always fill free to ask questions and I will answer to the best of my ability. Stay tuned....


	34. Chapter 34

Disclaimer: I just want to say that I don't own any of the characters that appear in any of the Charlaine Harris books, everyone else is mine.

A/N: I won't waste your time with a long a/n so I will just say that I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please review. Please enjoy.

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"Fine, go." Eric told her as he rolled his eyes. He continued to stroke himself. "I will just have to think of something to occupy my time."

Sookie all but ran to the door. She was glad that she hadn't turned back to look at Eric since they realized that Michael was there because if she had there was no way she would have been able to leave him on the bed alone. Before she opened the door she stopped to take a calming breath so she wouldn't look like a fool in front of everyone. She pulled her enclosure inside of her bond until only her hair and eyes showed her change once again. She could hear small popping sounds coming from the other side of the door.

She walked out to see all of the security guards tense. They seemed to be looking around for something but no one was speaking. Their minds were swirling in panic and confusion and yet no one seemed to want to be the first to say anything. She looked around to see Jamal and the rest of her guard leaning on the walls on either side of the bedroom door. Al was walking through the room. It seemed that every time he passed by the other guards would calm until another popping noise would sound and the whole thing would start again.

"What's going on out here?" She asked. Everyone turned to look at her and bowed.

"The men are restless Queen." Anthony responded. "I think that they are losing their minds."

"They?" Sookie asked. "What about you guys?"

"We were crazy when we started the job so there's no risk there." Jamal replied. "Well except Noah. I've yet to determine his malfunction."

Sookie looked to over to Noah to see that he was just as calm as ever. He met her eyes and just shrugged before looking back at the other antsy guards. Sookie smiled. He hadn't said anything but his mind told her everything she needed to know. The safest place for them to be was as close to her and Eric as they could get, which is why they were all so close to the door. Besides, it was just noises, nothing had happened to warrant the alarm the other guards were exhibiting.

Another popping noise sounded over by the front door. The guards looked around, but there was nothing to find. They inhaled deeply but there was no scent. They moved uneasily away from the sound, trying to seem as if they weren't doing exactly that. The fact that Sookie was powered up and in the room with them seemed to make them all relax a bit more. She could hear the shock and awe in their minds but that's not what made her walk further into the sitting room. She knew that Michael was close. She could feel it and yet she couldn't see him or smell him or even hear him...interesting.

She walked over towards the door where sound was made. It reminded her of those little balls that kids throw against the sidewalk to make it snap loudly. The feel of Michael was strong but her other senses couldn't pick him up again. She could feel Eric in the back of her mind. She knew he was relaxing again. He was about to succumb once again to the sun.

_'He's testing you.'_ He told her. _'Kick his ass.'_ In the next moment Eric was gone and Sookie was alone in her mind. Of course he was right. Michael was testing her though she didn't know why. She could feel his presence all around her and she began walking around the room. In some places it was stronger than others. She made her way back over to the bedroom when four pops sounded almost simultaneously. One was by the door again another by the second bedroom door, the third by the large window that looked out over Vegas and a last in the middle of a cluster of bodyguards (who immediately dispersed).

Every eye was on her but it was Al who spoke. "What is going on my Queen?"

She just shook her head and put her finger to her lips. "Shhh." She whispered. "Someone is playing with us." That put everyone on alert, which she didn't want, so she spoke again as weapons were being drawn from every direction. "No, put them away." They hesitated but when Sookie locked eyes with Al he put his away and everyone followed his lead. She noticed that it was still only her guard that never moved. They put their hands on their guns but they didn't draw, they were waiting on her or a more pressing threat than pops going off in the air.

"I know you are here." She told Michael. "Why are you messing with my men?" There was no answer. "So very dramatic; are you really going to make us revert to childhood?" A loud pop when off directly at her feet. Her guard drew their weapons but they held them discreetly at their sides. "So be it." She looked back at her guard and smiled. "Don't worry, this will be fun." Jamal was the first to return her smile, then Anthony. Noah didn't smile at all he just put up his gun and the others followed. Anthony and Jamal were the last to holster their weapons. When they had them secured Sookie smiled deviously at them. This felt familiar to her...so did the sudden feeling of wanting to win.

Michael was amused at the reactions of the shifting mortals. They really were funny at times. Such small things like an unexplained sound to get them so uneasy. He never really had a taste for playing or interacting with mortals, never until the arrival of Seraphim that is. At first he found it juvenile but really nothing forges friendships better than raising arms together. Practical jokes are just a more innocent way of forming alliances because not everything has to be bred through doom and gloom. Sometimes sewing seeds in the sunlight and fresh air created bonds stronger than those forged in fires. This is just one of the things Seraphim had taught him in their time together.

Seraphim had never been so close to the surface as she was not. He liked Sookie okay, but she was human and he didn't have a distinct bond with her as he did with Seraphim. Michael knew that the best way to trigger a lost memory was familiarity and that was the game he was playing with Sera now. Even now he could see the determined glint of his friend shining in the silver eyes of the mortal Sookie. Even now as he watched her crouch in an attack position and close her eyes to concentrate on him, he knew that this was Sera peeking through. He didn't want Sookie to disappear; she was a strong and caring human who always rose to anything thrown at her. That, however, was the problem. Sookie was strong willed and a fighter (like Seraphim) but she still thought of herself and Seraphim as two different people. Instead of embracing the two entities as one and gaining, she's fighting to hang on what she thinks is her sense of self. When and if she embraced Seraphim as herself she will see that she will lose nothing of the woman she has come to know as herself, but gain the experience and memories and _family_ that Seraphim carried with her; Sookie would no sooner disappear as Seraphim...can you separate you from yourself?

Michael knew all of this but most of all he knew that he couldn't just tell her this. Watching Sookie over the years he has come to learn that it's better to let her figure it out on her own because if you try to give it to her outright you will be met with nothing but doubt. Some people had to learn the hard way. So he would settle for subtle reminders and kick her angel butt now so that he can have bragging rights over her later. He stalked the room throwing small bits of energy making popping noises but she was no longer moved by the gestures. He stalked closer to her standing behind her and slowly she stepped away from him and turning her body towards his. He smiled and moved again. Again she moved away from him before she faced the direction he was in.

"Come out. Come out, wherever you are." She taunted him. If he were a less seasoned fighter he may have let her draw him in. It was awful tempting...but alas he was smarter than that.

He was proven right when in the next moment a sword appeared in her hand. It wasn't just any sword but the sword forged by Gabriel, an exact replica of Eric's. He could make out Gabriel's mark on her blade as well as a mark showing her rank among the Archangels. He flooded the room with his power and noted how some of the shifting mortals staggered under its weight. _'If they only knew.'_ He thought to himself. _'This is but a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of what I can do when I'm _relaxed._'_ He shook his head so that he could concentrate on Sera. She was now turning in graceful circles because his power was confusing her lock on his position.

She didn't have to think about where she wanted her sword to go. It pulsed in her hands. It seemed to know what she wanted and she followed its lead. This sword felt like a part of her, just like her sais. A part of her wondered if Eric's sword had felt this way before it got the upgrade...Angel Edition. She would have to remember to ask him. Michael was everywhere and she didn't know how to separate what she needed to in order to get to him. Her sword pulled to the left and she pivoted to counter the action. She was looking at Jamal and the rest of her guard again but no one else was there. If she ever got the chance she was definitely going to ask Michael if he could teach her how to do this. She wondered if it was an Angel thing or if she and Eric would be able to do it to. Then again part of her knew that if Eric ever learned to be invisible, his workers would never get any rest. The sword pulled to the extreme right this time, pulling her out of her musings, and again this time she went with it.

Sookie didn't remember calling for her sais, but that didn't stop one of them from appearing in her hand. It made a proper grip on the word impossible because her left hand wasn't just holding the hilt of the sword, but the sai too so she too the sword into her right hand and firmed her grip on her sai in her left hand. The weapons didn't work against her but in tandem with one another. They both pulled towards the other causing Sookie to rotate in circles, constantly moving. Again she was struck by the familiarity. Her body seemed to be waiting on something but her mind couldn't figure out what it was exactly. She was about to give up when she heard it. Well it wasn't so much hearing as it was feeling. She didn't hear the air whistle but she could feel its movement right above her face. She lunged to the left as she swung her sword down where she thought the attack went. There was a clang as her weapon encountered something hard and yet invisible. Sookie hadn't even thought about her next move. Before she even realized it her left hand was soaring vertically through the air only to be stopped abruptly with another loud clang. Musical laughter filled the stunned room. Sookie's insides did a flip because even though she didn't remember, she knew that hearing such carefree laughter from Michael in front of others wasn't something that happened very often. Her little display must have made him very happy.

"Michael." Sookie said pleasantly as if they were sitting over tea instead of with weapons in their hands. "Show yourself." It was a request and a command all wrapped into one and, though he probably wouldn't normally, he materialized inside the room with two magnificent swords blocking her sword and sai.

"You are getting slow Sera." He teased with a sarcastic laugh.

"Hey let he who is without a blade to his throat laugh first." She replied a bit indignant.

He pushed off her blades, crouching in a ready position. Sookie mirrored his stance. It felt natural and right but she really had no clue what she was going to do if he actually attacked. Even if it was only play she didn't think that she would be up to his challenge. She wasn't Eric for goodness sakes; she didn't have suicidal tendencies for sport.

"If you mess up my new suit I will be pissed." She said cordially.

"Duly noted." He replied with a small nod. He looked around at all the antsy shifting humans and surveyed how far they have been pushed before he stood. "Besides, this isn't the time or the place for such a display." And just like that, playful Michael had gone bye bye.

"Yes I would be very unhappy if you hurt my guard." She confessed as she too stood, sending her weapons away.

Michael nodded thoughtfully. "That's interesting. You would be 'pissed' if I messed up your outfit but only 'unhappy' if I took out your guard. Such priorities Sera."

"Shut up."

They regarded each other for a moment as they stared into each other's eyes. It probably would have turned into a staring contest but something inside Sookie wasn't having it. It was the fact that her friend was really here in front her. He was actually there. Her stomach flipped with a joyful leap before she launched herself into his arms. He dropped his swords and they stuck into the carpeted floor before they too disappeared like Sookie's had. He wrapped his arms around his sister and held her close to his body. "I've missed you." Sookie whispered in his ear even though everyone in the room was perfectly able to hear her.

_'And I you my sister._' Michael thought back to her.

She let herself get lost in the familiar embrace before she pulled back and looked into Michael's twinkling eyes. His face was reserved and serious but his eyes were twinkling in delight. He stepped away from her and grabbed her hands. "You look very nice Sera. I am glad that I did not mess up your beautiful outfit."

Sookie beamed. "I wanted to look nice for you. I wanted to belong next to you."

Michael narrowed his eyes at her and a small rumble went through his chest. "You always belong next to me Sera. I do not ever want to hear you speak any differently."

"Sorry." She apologized, only because she was only half serious.

"Do not apologize." He told her. "Just don't do it again."

Sookie beamed at her brother again and his eyes went from severe to twinkling again. "Where do you want to have lunch?" She asked.

"I know just the place." Michael responded and then looked at the bedroom door. "How is my brother?"

"Sleeping." She answered as she tried to hide her blush.

Of course he saw her blush anyway but was sure to keep his amusement off his face. "So I've heard." He took a step towards the door and the security guards shifted restlessly. This pleased Michael. He was glad to see that his familiarity with Sera hadn't lessoned their protectiveness of their unconscious King. He turned back to Sera and nodded his approval to her. "Shall we go?"

"Of course." Sookie replied.

She looked around for her black clutch and her sunglasses but before she could even ask Michael held it up for her. "Looking for these?" He asked. She took the purse, looking at it like she didn't know what it was.

"How did you do that?"

"Do what?"

"How did you get my clutch and shades when I know I left them in the room with Eric?"

"What are you talking about Sera? I had them the whole time." It was Sookie's turn to glare at Michael. She put her free hand on her hip but Michael spoke again before she had the chance. "Are we leaving?"

Sookie glared for a moment longer before nodding slowly and putting her shades on. "Fine, we'll go. My guard is coming with us, even though I don't need them. Eric will have a fit, I am sure, if we left them behind." Her six guards stepped forward. "Jamal is the head of my security. He wants to check you for weapons."

The only reaction in Jamal's easy going face at Sookie's words came from his eyes that widened ever so slightly. Michael regarded him for a moment and Jamal had a small feeling that he was but a fly in this guy's world of power. He bowed deeply to Sookie. "I would never disrespect my Queen by second guessing her wishes. By your word you've deemed this man safe, so your word I shall take my Queen."

Sookie smiled. Michael shook his head at their interaction but didn't acknowledge their exchange further. He offered Sera his arm, which she took, and together they made for the door. Sookie's guard surrounded them both. Jamal was at her side, Anthony was at Michael's side and Noah was centered behind the two of them. The other three rotated around them, two in front and one more in the back. They made their way down the hallway and into the elevator, everyone adjusting themselves once they were inside. Jamal's phone beeped and he answered it. It was a short conversation before he hung up.

"The issue in the lobby has calmed." He reported. "Even still we don't know how far this is going to go so it will still not be wise to linger longer than needed. I have our car ready at the back exit."

"That will not be necessary." Michael spoke as they descended the last few floors. "My car is already parked at the front entrance. It will be fine." His words were calm and yet they still didn't leave any room for discussion.

Jamal nodded but looked at Sookie. _'Should we follow him?'_ He asked her silently because no matter what this stranger said, he was not who Jamal served. Only the word from their Queen would persuade any of the guards to follow him.

Sookie smiled as she met Jamal's eyes. _'Yes we will follow him.'_ She thought back at him. _'You can always trust his word. I do.'_ She watched as Jamal thought about her answer before he nodded. He looked at the others and they silently understood his command.

As the elevator doors opened the lobby was completely calm. They made their way towards the entrance. When people realized that they were there the volume of the lobby spiked with conspicuous murmuring. A few flashes from cameras went off as did the clicking of phones taking pictures but they never stopped moving. All in all they made it outside without incident. There waiting for them was not a car as Michael had said but a stretch hummer, the driver of which was waiting to open the back door for them.

Sookie's mouth dropped opened but Michael kept her moving. She looked at the driver and could have sworn that he winked at her. The front guards moved out of the way so that Sookie and Michael could get in. Michael helped her get into the behemoth of a limo. She looked at the driver once more and was struck by a sense of familiarity, though she didn't know why. She knew that she didn't know him but there was something familiar about him. She put it out of her mind so that she could focus on not falling on her face inside of the stretch hummer. She walked, bent forward, towards the front of the limo so that everyone would have plenty of room. Michael followed behind her. A moment after the door was closed, the limo took off.

The ride was very short and they never left the bustling street of the strip. Even in the day time there was people everywhere, many of them weighed down with shopping bags from various stores. Sookie was enraptured as she watched everyone going here and there. She was able to get a clear look at many of the hotel and casinos. In the daylight they were very overwhelming and she knew that at night she would be in another world. So many of these places she had heard about. Las Vegas was on her to do list of impossible dreams places to visit when their limo stopped in front of the Bellagio.

"This is where we're going?" She asked excitedly.

"Yes, I haven't been since the original opening." Michael told her. "Of course that was when it was called the _Dunes_."

Sookie laughed and the guards glanced at one another before climbing out of the car. "I can't believe that we are eating here. I watched the demolition of the Dunes on TV with Gran and Jason. It was amazing."

Michael moved gracefully through the now empty limo and stepped out. Sookie moved right behind him, albeit a little jealous of his graceful moves. She took his offered hand and stepped out the limo and into the bright light of Nevada sun. The sun was brilliant...and hot. The heat hadn't slowed anyone down yet. Sookie thought that if this is how it is in the day time then she couldn't wait until she actually got to experience the night time. As Michael led them into the hotel Sookie took in every aspect of her surroundings.

People smiled and nodded at them but no one hampered their way. A few people stared at their group but Sookie was just glad that there were no flashing lights. She was so focused on trying to absorb everything around her that when Michael pulled her to a stop she looked at him surprised. He nodded forward. She looked up to see a pretty redhead smiling brilliantly at them, well more at Michael than Sookie but she didn't take it personally. She knew how attractive Michael was to her so she could imagine how spectacular he was to someone who didn't have a Viking god like Eric to go home to.

"Hello welcome to Prime." The hostess beamed at them (Michael).

"There should be a reservation under Wright." Michael said as if the name he gave belonged to him. Sookie looked at him in surprise but Michael didn't even look at her.

"Of course Mr. Wright please follow me."

Michael began walking and Sookie fell into step next to him. It was only then that she realized that none of the guards were with them. "Where'd everybody go?" She asked as she scanned for them.

Michael smiled down at her. "They dispersed to do their duty when you were still taking in the atmosphere."

Sure enough she found that none of them were far away. She didn't spot them with her eyes but she heard them in her mind. "Oh, I guess I was just distracted. This place is amazing."

The hostess finally stopped at a table big enough for four but set for two. The cream linen and chocolate chairs balanced the soft blues and creams and chocolates that created the pallet of _Prime_. This place was both beautiful and masculine. The elegant blue drapes with cream accent were tied to the wall giving the illusion of promised privacy if needed. This was grown up and elegant and just plain wow. She hadn't even ordered anything but she knew that Michael had done well in choosing this place. A part of her wondered if they served blood because she wanted to bring Eric back here so he could see it. Michael pulled out her chair for her and the redheaded hostess handed her a menu.

"Thank you for choosing Prime; your waiter, Carson, will be over to take your drink orders. Please don't hesitate to ask for anything." The last part the hostess spoke directly to Michael but Sookie smiled and thanked her just the same.

"I'm surprised that this place isn't packed with people." Sookie said as she began to scan her menu.

"Technically it's not open yet." Michael replied. "They are usually open for dinner only from five to ten."

"And I guess you swung this by your charm and good looks?"

"Of course. Is there any other explanation?"

She laughed and shook her head. "I don't know what to get. Everything looks so wonderful."

"Welcome to Prime I am Carson your server this afternoon; may I start you off with drinks?"

Michael motioned for her to go first. "I will have an apple martini please." Sookie ordered. She always wanted to sip an apple martini in a Las Vegas restaurant or bar.

"I will have a club soda please."

"Very good." Carson replied with a slight bow before leaving them.

"Can you drink?" Sookie asked when Carson was gone.

"Of course I can." Michael replied with a playful smile. "I can eat and walk and talk too...sometimes at the same time."

"Oh hush, that's not what I meant and you know it Michael." She huffed, causing him to laugh.

"I know." He conceded. "Yes I can drink alcohol but I cannot get drunk. It would just be like an added flavor to the drink, kind of how humans are fond of putting cherry in their colas."

"Then why didn't you order an alcoholic drink?" She wondered out loud. "I wouldn't think any differently of you."

"Thank you but I don't do it because I am not fond of the taste of alcohol in its processed state. I find it bitter and it takes away from the overall drink for me."

"What about when it's used in cooking?"

Michael didn't answer right away but seemed to think about it before answering. "I must say that it depends. If done right the other ingredients can balance out the bitterness, though it never truly takes it away. I haven't found a chef since before the last turn of the last century who had been capable of making a dish that was even mildly appealing with any type of alcohol."

"Have you tasted a lot?" She asked only to have him shake his head. "Then how do you know?"

He smiled again and tapped his nose lightly. "If it doesn't smell appealing then I don't even try to taste it."

Carson brought their drinks back to them. "Have you decided on what you would like to have or do you need more time?"

Michael looked at Sookie who spoke honestly. "There's so much that looks wonderful. I just can't decide."

"May I?" Michael asked as he held his hand out for her menu.

"Sure." She passed him her menu.

He handed them both to Carson. "Have Chef Moore make us whatever he's in the mood for."

Carson's eyes widened in surprise before a slow smile graced his lips. "This will be a treat that comes too few and far between for him. I think he will be most delighted." They smiled. "Is there anything else that I can get you right now?" They shook their heads no. "Then I will go and put your order in."

With Carson's departure they fell into silence. Sookie picked up her apple martini and tasted it. It was the best drink she'd ever had. Michael watched the emotions pass across her face as she enjoyed her drink. He sipped his as he took in her every move. She was so full of life and vitality and there was a perpetual light that seemed to shine from within.

Sookie didn't realize Michael was watching her until she realized that it had been a while since either of them had said anything. She looked up to see his eyes taking her in. She looked at him questioningly. His face seemed reminiscent and somehow sad. She wondered what he was remembering, or if it was even her he was thinking about. When she looked at him his eyes were always filled with such love...but love for who? Just because she was an incarnation of Seraphim, did that make this carnation invalid? What did it mean to her? The only thing she could figure she could to do was to be who she's always been, Sookie. She didn't know how to be Seraphim, nor was she sure she wanted to be.

"What's up?" She asked him, just to fill the silence.

He shook his head. "Nothing, I just can see why so many are drawn to you here. There is a light about you Sera." She looked at him questioningly but he didn't elaborate. He cleared his throat needlessly and smiled at his friend again. "How about we get business out of the way so that we can enjoy the rest of our time together?"

"Okay." Sookie agreed easily. "I just had a few things I wanted to talk to you about but I'm not sure where to start."

"That's fine. I promise that we will cover everything so I guess you can just start where ever you want to."

"Right. I guess I have a few questions I want to ask." She told him. He nodded his head and motioned with his hand for her to continue so she did. "Am I supposed to use your gift on Bill?"

"Is that what you want to do with it?" He asked her. His face was unreadable and his voice gave nothing away.

She didn't have to think about her answer because this was something she had thought about already. "Yes, but what if I regret using it when or if something more important comes along?"

Part of him expected her to bring this up with him sooner or later but the other part of him couldn't believe that she was still struggling with this. Besides Sookie responded better to the hard truth then loving lies. He knew he couldn't baby her so he asked her a logical question. "What if you don't use it and you lose Bill...and not just emotionally?"

"Are you saying he's going to die if he doesn't get past this?" Sookie gasped. She knew he was bad off but she had no idea he would be this bad off this fast. She would need to find out all she could.

"Why do you care? Aren't you going to wait on something 'more important' than William Compton?" She flinched at his cold words delivered so calmly. When he saw her reaction to his questions he almost took them back but didn't as he saw her gather herself. He was glad to see the defiance flash in her eyes. A whiney crying Sera was no good to anyone, but a sure and strong Sera was good for everyone. He saw the fire in her eyes as she prepared to spit fire with her tongue.

"Dammit will you stop answering my questions with questions?" She spat as she struggled to keep her voice down. "I want a straight answer!"

"Will you stop wasting my time on your nonsense?" He answered. When would she see that there were more pressing matters that needed her attention. "You already know the answer to your question so why are you still trying to ask? The answer is no different. The answer will not change either."

"I'm not." Sookie responded. As soon as she said it she could see her two year old self saying those same two words to her mother over some childhood injustice or other.

"You are."

"What do I do exactly?" She asked. She had been on the receiving end but she wasn't sure about the giving end and she wasn't sure how to initiate it. Besides maybe a change in tactic was needed.

"Just kiss the person you wish to help and if you listen to what you know is right then it will work on its own. If you don't...well then you will have kissed someone for no reason."

This caught her attention and her next question died on her tongue. "And it won't work?"

"Of course it will work." He said, just barely managing to not roll his eyes at her. "You just may not like how it works."

"What will happen?"

"It's not my place to say. I just implore you to do what you already know is right."

"Fine." Sookie sulked though she was proud that she managed not to huff. Sounding like a child once in front of an Angel was enough for her.

Carson brought their meals though neither spoke as he set the plates on the table. He could feel the tension rolling off of both of them and he offered to refill their drinks just to get away from them. When he brought their freshened drinks he saw that nothing had improved at the table. He was happy when neither said that they needed anything more from him and he quickly took his leave.

Silence had invaded their table and neither knew how to break it without starting another fight. Sookie couldn't believe he answered her the way he did when she had asked a simple question. Would it have killed him to give her little reassurance? Michael couldn't and wouldn't apologize for how he said what he said. They were at war and war is no time for holding someone's hand; that could get someone killed. She needed to stop going back and forth and take care of this situation. They both had a point but neither would say anything to the other.

Seeing the frown on Sookie's face and knowing that he put it there broke Michael first...the big General that he was. "Out with it already." He finally said.

Sookie looked at him wide-eyed and a bit startled at his sudden outburst. Her thoughts were all over the place and she suddenly wondered if he had been listening to her. "Do you know what I am going to ask?"

"No but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that there's more you wish to ask of me." He told her, offering her a small smile of peace. "So ask."

"I want Claudine and Niall back." Sookie blurted out before she could think about her wording.

"No."

"No?" She asked because surely she heard him wrong.

"No."

"You can't tell me no."

"Then why has the word come from my mouth twice?"

"You can't do that." She said forgetting about her food. It was tasty but she couldn't identify it at the moment even if her life was depending on it.

"I can and I am doing it, end of discussion." Michael said. His voice was grave and serious. He wasn't doing this because the sky was blue. There was purpose behind his decisions. She needed to trust him on that.

"The hell it is Michael. You are not my father...either of them. Who the hell do you think you are that you can keep my family from me?" Sookie practically yelled. She couldn't believe he thought that he had the right to bar people from her life. He had no right to say who came in and out of her life. It was her decision and hers alone.

"I am not keeping your family from you. I am keeping a fairy who wants to maneuver you for his own purposes away from you so that he cannot mess up my plans." His voice was slowly rising with his anger.

"So it's okay for you to maneuver me where ever you want to but not him." She said it because she was hurting and she wanted to hurt him too. Michael knew this. He'd been around humans enough to know that they lashed out at those around them. It didn't matter to him at the moment as long as it served his purpose.

"Exactly."

"Why are you doing this? Why can't you just allow them to come back?" She asked. "What do you have against Claudine anyway?"

"I have nothing against the fairy except the fact that she feels honor bound to do her grandfathers bidding." He told her honestly. "Why are you so eager for Niall's return after he tried to hurt you and Eric? Do we not have enough things to worry about without having to borrow extra from him?"

It was a good question and she knew it. She knew that Niall and Eric weren't the best of friends even if they tried to get along for her sake. Niall did seem to complicate things but she just couldn't give up on him. Not yet anyway, so she answered as honestly as she could. "He's my family. I don't have a lot so I want to hold onto what I have no matter how bad or good. I want him back."

"He is using you." Michael warned her softly as his anger left him. For anyone else he wouldn't give them what they wanted but for her he couldn't help but indulge her. He just prayed that he didn't regret going against his first mind. He opened his mouth to acquiesce her plea when she interrupted his words.

"So are you." She spat savagely at her so called friend. How dare he say her great grandfather would use her? No he wasn't the great grandfather that she dreamed of having but who ever got exactly what they wanted? She was just grateful that she had a great grandfather at all and she wasn't going to let anyone talk badly about him; not even Michael.

"He is going to hurt you." He tried to explain. She hadn't spent as much time as he had around Niall in his natural state. She was still blinded by her humanity to be able to see as he did. If she allowed herself to embrace herself then she would be able to see her great grandfather more plainly. She would be better equipped for handling him. She would know that his words weren't for hurt but for warning.

"You already are." She told him. They stared at each other.

"Fine, you can have them both back." Michael finally said. He returned to his food. This time he would not be the one to break their silence. If he knew her, he knew that she would need time to cool down. When she was calm then he would be able to better explain his reasoning to her. He's never had to explain his reasoning to anyone and the fact that he was contemplating doing it now didn't sit well with him; but Sera was his friend, his sister, and for her he would explain.

She had gotten what she wanted but somehow she didn't feel as good as she thought she would. She knew that she had hurt Michael with her harsh words. He just made her so mad and her temper got the best of her. She knew she would have to apologize but part of her was hoping she could save it for later. She saw his impassive face suddenly frown as he turned back to his food and she her mouth had spoken before her brain even registered her words. "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me Sookie." Michael said calmly. No one got to him how Sera could, not Gabriel or Freyja or Odin or even Hera and Zeus. If he was honest with himself he would say that he was pissed. He was pissed that Sookie was so hell bent on having to do things the hard way. She wasn't as practical as Sera but it was more than that. What had Michael so upset was the realization that she didn't trust him. Sookie didn't trust him. Sera didn't trust him. He wasn't trusted by the person he trusted most. That knowledge hurt.

Sookie being Sookie couldn't leave well enough alone. After all he couldn't be that mad that she had won their argument. The fact that he was calling her Sookie and not Sera proved that he was mad. She needed to know how deep of a hole she had dug herself into."Then why are you calling me Sookie?"

"Because that is your name." He said. His voice was devoid of all emotion. It was not the voice of Seraphim's friend Michael but of Michael the commanding Angel.

"It's never stopped you before." Sookie pointed out.

(silence)

"Don't do this Michael." Sookie pleaded. Her eyes filled with tears and she reached out to her friend. He pulled his hand out of reach and placed both of his hands in his lap. She pulled her hand away and wiped away the first tears that spilled from her eyes.

"It's already done but it is not of my doing." He said as he shook his head and took an unnecessary breath to keep his voice steady. "Everything has a season Sookie, everything." He told her. He didn't say that the season of Michael and Seraphim being close has ended and won't come again until Sookie could embrace her whole self. He couldn't make her do that, no one could. She will have to do it herself.

"What does that mean?" She sniffled as she tried to regain control over herself. She used her napkin to try and dry her tears and she tried to take deep breaths.

"It means that I cannot protect you. I cannot guide you. You have to find your own way." He told her truthfully. He didn't want to say it out loud but he needed to hear it just as much as she did.

"You mean you won't help us anymore?" She panicked. "You're leaving me?" How was she and Eric supposed to take on a demon without his help? He couldn't leave them high and dry. Shit Eric will be pissed.

"Of course I will help you Sookie and I won't leave you." He rushed to relieve her fears. "I just see now that I can't hold your hand every step of the way...no matter how much I may want to."

"This isn't fair!" She all but yelled. The thought that he was going away seemed crushing to her. Part of her was horrified and utterly despaired by the thought. It wasn't fair that he was doing this to them. "You're making me choose between you and my family...."

Something dark passes in Michael's eyes and Sookie stopped talking. Michael was still, completely still, inhumanly still. She had pushed him too far. She thought about her words and her eyes grew at the realization of how he took what she was saying. She opened her mouth to apologize, to try and explain what she actually meant but Michael didn't give her the chance. His voice was cold and beautiful and completely inhuman. His anger was growing and he was losing control on blending in with the other humans.

"I'm sorry you feel that way Mrs. Northman." Michael said formally as he stood from the table. "I won't leave you or Eric. You may not see me but I will be there." He started to walk away but he couldn't resist looking one last time at his friend who wasn't his friend anymore, according to her he wasn't even family to her. The cold hard truth, though for the first time in his existence he wished for a comforting lie. "Goodbye Mrs. Northman, my car will take you back when you are ready."

Sookie's tears were freely falling now. She tried to stand to go after her friend-her brother- but her legs wouldn't support her. "Michael don't go!" She called after him but Michael didn't turn back. He just continued to walk to the door and this time he didn't look back.

As he walked to the door Jamal stepped out to look at the stranger that made his Queen cry. Michael spoke to him first.

"Get her back to her room." He told Jamal. "Don't worry about people seeing her I will shield you all from sight, just don't run into anyone. My driver will still be able to see you. I will lift the shield when you all get to the door of your suite."

Jamal nodded but didn't speak. It wasn't his place to say anything but that didn't keep him from having an opinion from all he heard. Yet again, he wasn't paid for his opinion. He was paid to protect the Queen and right now that is what he would do. He turned away from Michael and walked toward his crying Queen.

"Queen Sookie?" He said as he knelt in front of her. "Let us get you out of here?" He asked. She didn't say anything but she nodded and straighten her sunglasses on her face.

Sookie kept her head down and threw up every shield she could form in her mind. The last thing she wanted to see was anyone's sad looks or hear their sympathetic thoughts. So she let them lead her out of the restaurant. She let them shield her from the masses as she dwelled on how her fun lunch turned into a complete cluster fuck. She got her cousin and great grandfather but she'd severely damaged her relationship with Michael. She couldn't figure out what the hell had gotten into her. Her temper had never been so bad before. She wasn't like Eric who was so quick to anger but for some reason that didn't seem to matter. Though he's quick to anger Eric is always in control of himself. Maybe there was a closer link to Eric and herself than she realized. Maybe more of their personalities had bled into one another without them noticing. Maybe she just wanted to find someone else to blame but herself. Yes that would be good. She can be pissed at someone else if they had cost her so dearly; but it wasn't them, it was her. There was no getting around it.

"We are here Queen." Jamal said.

Sookie looked up to see that they were indeed back in front of their own hotel. Everyone was already out of the limo except her and Jamal. She didn't speak as she climbed out of the limo and Jamal didn't say anything else to her. When they stood together the limo took off and Jamal reminded them to keep from touching anyone as they made their way through the lobby. They stuck together in a little cluster as they moved and everyone was careful. It helped that the lobby wasn't very crowded, it was easy to maneuver themselves around to the elevator.

Though looks were shared, no one spoke. They were all within hearing range when the great meltdown began. Some of them were uncomfortable. Not because of what happened, but because they could see how sad their Queen was and they knew that they couldn't protect her from it. You can only guard against bodily harm, not emotional. So they too were quiet and reflective as they walked to their suite.

Sookie hadn't realized she was back until she heard the door close behind her. She looked around to see everyone staring at her. She didn't want to deal with anyone at that moment so she kept her mouth shut and began walking to her room door. She had almost made it when a woman stepped up next to her. She didn't block Sookie's path but she made it impossible not to notice her and Sookie stopped. The woman bowed deeply before she spoke.

"My Queen, it is an honor to meet you." She said. She was still bowing because Sookie hadn't acknowledged her yet. "My name is Evelyn. I am to be your new assistant."

"I didn't ask for an assistant." Sookie said. Her voice was low and careful. She didn't want to take the chance of speaking too loudly and having her voice crack.

"No ma'am. I am here by order of the King. I was chosen by Sandy. I am here to help you with anything you see fit." Evelyn said as she stood.

As she stood Sookie took in her appearance. She was about the same height as Sookie, maybe an inch or so taller. She was African American with flawless skin. She was maybe a shade or two lighter than Jamal, though her skin was still chocolate. Her eyes were the color of caramel and her lips were thick and full and painted red. Her makup looked professional as it accentuated her features. Her black hair was straightened and combed straight back, falling below the midpoint of her back. Evelyn seemed to have ever present dimples, no matter if she were smiling or not and it made her look kind and perpetually happy. She was curvy like Sookie though her bosom was a little more blessed as well as her hips. She wore a simple white dress with a matching open jacket and four inch spiked red heels.

"I don't need an assistant. Thanks anyway." Sookie said as she opened the door to her bedroom. She turned around to see Evelyn's surprised face about to speak again. "Goodbye Evelyn." With that she closed the door without giving Evelyn another chance to say anything.

Sookie turned back to the bed to find Eric peacefully dead on his back, under the covers. Sookie didn't run from anything. She faced her problems head on; and she will. She just needed time to recoup and she couldn't figure out a better way to do it than in Eric's arms. She stripped her clothes off as she made her way to the bed and when she was nude she lifted the covers and climbed in. She snuggled in close to him and pulled his arms around her. And when she felt safe and secure, she began to cry. Sookie cried herself to sleep for the first time in a long while, and once the tears came she was powerless to stop them.


	35. Chapter 35

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that appears in any of the Charlaine Harris books, everything/everyone else belongs to me.

A/N: Hello everyone. I would first like to say thank you all for the reviews. I love reading what you all have to think about my story. It really does help keep me on track. I apologize for the long time before my posting of the last chapter. I have a lot going on in my life and some times it's hard to find balance. I promise to do my best to update regularly. I really do appreciate all the support. Thank you all for sticking with me this far. I cannot tell you what it means to me. I never imagined that I would have this many reviews. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Now with that said, please enjoy!

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The last of the sun's rays still lit the evening sky when Eric woke. Though the windows were opaque and the light tight curtains were pulled shut, he could still feel the heat of the rays. It was the internal clock that all vampires had to let them know that the danger of the sun was still there.

He was covered in a great and peaceful warmth and he didn't have to look down to know that Sookie was in his arms. She was sleeping soundly while she clung to his body even in her sleep. He searched the ball of confusion that filled their bond trying to make some kind of sense of it. Sookie was hurting and he didn't know why. He tried to send her comfort but it did little to soothe her. He tried to see what was going on in her sleeping mind only to find that even in her sleep her mental blocks were firmly in place.

He pulled her closer into his body and wrapped her protectively in his arms. He stroked her hair and kept sending her comforting feelings through their bond. They lay like that until the sun went down. Eric listened to the changing of the guards outside the room. He listened to people move around the floors as the day came to another end. He listened to the sounds of the strip picking up in life as more and more people began their night out. He listened further than he's ever listened before as he held Sookie in his arms and stroked her hair and sent comforting feelings through their bond.

"Come in." He said before Sandy could knock on the door. She wondered for a moment how he knew she was about to knock but put it out of her mind. She had a feeling that this may be something that she got used to.

Sandy peeked her head in the door and when Eric nodded she walked on into the room. "Good evening sir." She said as she walked to the foot of the bed. She could see that Sookie was sound asleep in Eric's arms. She would smile at the scene before them but she had a reputation as a hard ass to maintain.

"Good evening Sandy." Eric replied. "Pull up a chair."

Sandy pulled a sitting chair from the corner over to Sookie's side of the bed so that Eric wouldn't have to strain to see her face. When she had the chair positioned she opened her briefcase and pulled out her folders and got situated. She slid on a pair of reading glasses, she didn't need them but they've became a part of her habit in order to blend in better with humans.

"Alright sir. There are three cases left over from Felipe. The first one is between Sheriff Dolan of area four and Sheriff Weisz of area five. Dolan has charged Weisz with a blood offense. The details of the case with statements of both sides are listed in the file."

"Was the blood offense through Dolan directly?" Eric asked.

Sandy shifted through the file. "No sir. Dolan has a known girlfriend that has been declared his."

"Human?"

"Yes sir. He's grooming her for the change."

"Okay what's the other case?"

Sandy closed the file she had and sifted through her briefcase for a moment before pulling out another file.

"The second case is a contention for Carson City. The old Sheriff's maker was forced to destroy his second in command in an attempted takeover, so the Sheriff has been recalled to take his place at his maker's side."

"Who is the Sheriff?" Eric asked.

"Johnson, Thomas Johnson."

"And who is the Sheriff and his maker?"

"Thomas is the Sheriff and Rick Beaumont is the maker."

This surprised Eric. If this was who he was thinking about then he may have inadvertently found a lost friend of his. The name Rick Beaumont was a subtle reminder and Eric remembered how his friend liked subtle tricks and fierce battles. If this is the vampire he remembers then he has held England for more than eight centuries.

"Is Thomas still here?"

"Yes, he and his maker agreed that he could remain to run his area until Felipe could declare his replacement."

"I want him there tonight along with...who are the candidates?"

"Jericho and Ashton." Sandy shuffled a few more files. "I also included four others that applied for the job."

"Okay. What time are the meetings?"

"I have them scheduled at eleven. Is that going to be okay?"

"Yes that will be fine." Eric told her. His mind was still turning over the fact that he may have found his old friend again but he would deal with it later.

"The final case is the one against Davis Archer, Ron Bellman, and Brandon Wittiker. They are charged with treason for the attempted assault of one of our established regents."

"There will be no hearing." Eric growled. "They will all die."

Sookie shifted restlessly in Eric's arms, as if she were trying to get away. He stamped down on his anger and Sookie also quieted in his arms.

"That is your prerogative as King." Sandy said when Eric was calm again. "Still for those who saw the attack and those who have heard of it, it would still be wise to make a statement to your subjects on the matter."

"I agree." Eric said as he tried to keep his anger from spilling over again.

"Very well. I will still leave their files here for you and the Queen." Eric didn't respond with anything more than a nod. "Also, Evelyn is still outside. She said that Queen Sookie sent her away. I was told that the Queen has said she didn't want an assistant."

"Have Evelyn stay. I will speak with Sookie."

"Also your reservations have been made and your table has been reserved for the show."

"Thank you Sandy. Sookie will be delighted."

"No problem sir. I also have some general information that you and the Queen will need to go over for the coronation. I will contact the Pythoness to see what her schedule is like; but I don't believe it will be an issue. Rumor has it that she's eager to meet you again, though no one can say why. I think that whenever you and the Queen decide to have your coronation she will make herself available. Though, I would caution that you do not take to long in choosing. Everyone knows how the Pythoness hates to wait."

Eric smiled at that understatement. "Yes, I am well aware. Is there anything else?"

"No sir. Depending on how long the hearings go you will have plenty of time for your surprise. Though if for any reason you run over, though I don't expect it, we can have the show stalled for you."

"Very good Sandy."

"Thank you sir." Sandy replied as she began to put the unnecessary folders up and stacked the needed ones in her lap. When she sat there and stared at Eric trying to decide on the best words for her next report.

"Just say it Sandy." Eric told her. "There's no need to waste words on me."

"You've noticed that the exiting guard didn't come in to give you a report on their shift as they should have." Eric nodded without saying anything. "They were preparing to come in when I came. I thought it unnecessary for you to entertain two people in here when the Queen was still asleep so I had them give their report to me." She paused and again Eric nodded for her to continue.

"It seems that the Queen had an eventful day. She went to the spa and that went according to plan until towards the end when they had trouble waking her. When they did wake her she seemed to have poor hold on the functions of her limbs. When she regained control they left. They made it a few steps out of the spa when they were ambushed by cameras. Apparently when they entered the lobby their group attracted a lot of attention but no one bothered them. When they came out they got even more attention and then people began to take pictures and swarming them. They got her out unscathed. She opened her briefcase again and pulled out a CD case. "This is the security video that captured the whole thing."

"Did the mob yell anything? Anything to let us know what they wanted?" Eric asked.

"No they were asking what her name was and asking who she was. They didn't know who she was but they were taking her picture. Jamal thought that they would try to use her picture as a means to identify her. He suggested we have someone watch the Queen's credit reports and flag any background checks that are done on her. With the right resources someone could find out at the very least a name; and that's all they would need to get started."

"Do we have someone we can trust who can do this for us?"

"We do."

"Then do it. Also have them monitor the hotels computers especially where they store room information."

"Yes sir. Can I ask what you are thinking?"

"Yes. You said they were asking who she was, right?" He asked though he didn't wait for her to respond. "I noticed that there are numbers over the elevators that tell people who are waiting what floor the elevator is on. All one of them have to do once Sookie entered the elevators is watch what floor she got off on. That would narrow down the search to a set number of names."

"But the room isn't in her name."

"Who's name is in under?"

"Eric Northman. The hotel rep who made his case to you placed it under your name with the unlimited status. You could ask for half the city and they wouldn't deny you." Sandy thought for a second. "I see what you mean. Just a search on you would pull up the Fangtasia website that has pictures of both you and the Queen on there."

"Exactly."

"I will take care of it. I will also have the room taken out of your name and put in a dummy identity."

"Thank you. Keep me informed of any and all changes."

"Will do sir but there's more."

"Oh?" Eric said; his expression clearly saying get on with it.

"The Queen had lunch with an old friend this afternoon. His name was Michael."

"I am aware."

"Well, after a mock fight they seemed to get along fine together. They had lunch at Prime and that seems to be where everything fell to hell. Michael and the Queen got into a fight seemingly because she'd asked for some of her family members back?" Sandy paused a moment to see if Eric would inject some extra info...he didn't. "That didn't go so well. By the end of their lunch Michael was clearly pissed while the Queen was in tears. They said that she moved as if in a fog the whole way back to here. They tried to engage her several times but it was as if she couldn't hear them. When they were back Evelyn engaged her and this is when the Queen told her that she didn't want an assistant."

"Did any of them remember anything else from the meeting?"

"That's another thing. I asked each and every member of her guard to tell me what happened in their own words and the more they told me, the less they seemed to remember. By the time I finished asking questions, they were only able to agree that the Queen went to lunch at Prime with a male friend. They couldn't tell me what her friend was and by the end of it they were no longer able to tell me what her companion's name was or even what he looked or smelled like. They couldn't remember things that they had just told me minutes before. The more they tried to remember things the less they could recall."

"So if I were to call them on the phone and ask them about this afternoon...." Eric asked.

"They would be able to tell you everything up to and after her luncheon. About the lunch itself they would be able to tell you that the Queen went to lunch with a male friend. In the beginning they were happy and amiable but they argued and by the end he was angry and she was crying."

Eric didn't say anything but nodded his head anyway. Somehow all but the basic memory of Michael was removed from the guards mind. He had a feeling that if he contacted the restaurant they would have just as hard of a time remembering Sookie's lunch. So why would this be? Why would Michael erase everyone's memory of him? The first thing that came to mind was survival. Not his personal survival no but it would still not do for someone to remember him or to be able to note anything of substance about him. He was betting that no human would be able to remember anything distinguishing about an Angel they interacted with. It seems that the more you think about them the less you remember until you are reduced to the bare bone basics of sex. So it would stand to reason that you would retain perfect memory until you began to dwell on the interaction.

"Sir?" Sandy said as she leaned forward in her chair. When Eric met her eyes she knew he hadn't heard her question. "I said that I have already called our doctor to make rounds to their homes to check them out."

"No, call the doctor back." Eric said. "There is nothing wrong with them, any of them."

"You know why they can't remember?"

"Yes."

"Do I need to be worried about it; about this Michael?"

"No."

They sat in silence for a full minute until Sandy finally nodded. "Very well sir. If it's good for you I will go and monitor the last of the setup for tonight. Now that we don't have the mansion, I've had to come up to an alternate venue. A car will be here to pick you up at a quarter 'til eleven."

"Okay, we will see you there Sandy."

"Oh and before I forget," Sandy reached into an outside pocket of her briefcase to bring out another CD case. "Here is a list of the security guards, both vampire and shifter alike for you and Queen Sookie to choose from."

"Thank you." Eric replied and with that Sandy took her leave.

When he was alone again he looked back down at Sookie. She seemed a little more peaceful than before but not much. He let his mind wander around what she and Michael could have possibly argued about enough to make him lose his cool and her to tears. If he was being honest with himself he would admit that he wasn't happy that she had asked for Niall. What was she thinking? He knew that she was friends with Claudine but why would she ask to have Niall back...especially without talking to him first?

He kept one arm around Sookie while he reached with the other back to his side of his nightstand and grabbed his cell phone. There was another knock at the door just as he found the number he wanted to call. He reached out with his mind to find that it was Pam waiting.

_'Come in Pam.'_ Eric thought to her as he dialed Clancy's number.

"Clancy?" He answered. It was quiet in the back and Eric assumed he was probably in the office.

"How are things in my absence Clancy?" Eric asked without as much as a greeting. Pam walked in and sat on the end of the bed without a word.

"Very well." Clancy replied. "There have been no disturbances. We have had an influx of vampires into the area. I've done a preliminary background check on all of them and have granted them temporary stays until you come back and give a final ruling."

"How are the club and other businesses?"

"All quiet all good. There have been no problems in the area."

"Very good."

"When shall we expect you back?" Clancy asked. It was a simple question but somewhere in his tone was something that made it seem like more.

"Everything is being wrapped up. With Felipe and Victor dead, there is no other contention from within. I just have a few more things to wrap up and Sookie and I will be back in a few days."

There was quiet on both sides of the phone for a minute. Pam watched as he continued to stroke Sookie's hair. She moved up the bed and lay behind Sookie. She looked at Eric and when he didn't protest, she too started to stroke Sookie's golden locks.

"I heard that Sandy will come to Louisiana permanently?"

"Yes, she wants a fresh start for her and her mate." Eric told him. "What is it that you want to know Clancy?"

"It's not just me but others of us who have served you for so long. We were just wondering how you becoming king will...impact us."

"You should know by now that I take care of those who have served me well."

"Yes but can you rule three states from Shreveport? Will you now relocate to Vegas or New Orleans?"

"I do not know about later but for now my base will still be in Shreveport. We will have a meeting with my most loyal when I return, but there is no need to fear my new position. I will not leave any that are mine behind."

"I will tell the others." Clancy replied after a shorter pause than the first.

"Good." Eric replied. "Is there anything else that I should be made aware of?"

"No Sher...sir."

Without a farewell Eric hung up. He looked over at Pam who was now spooning behind Sookie, still stroking her hair. She was looking at Sookie's hair but she had a far away look in her eyes. He wondered what she was thinking about but not enough to listen into her thoughts. If she wanted him to know she would tell him. If it were anyone besides Pam he wouldn't care and would listen but Pam had earned her right to privacy.

Pam stayed quiet as Eric made calls to Maxwell Lee and all the Sheriffs for updates on what was going on in their areas. Maxwell Lee reported that Bill had caused no trouble since he came into his and Thalia's care. All he did was eat and read and work on his home. All the Sheriffs reported and influx of vampires into the areas. None of them had raised any flags but the Sheriffs will keep Eric posted. When he was finally done he laid the phone behind him.

They continued to hold Sookie between them and stroke her hair. Both were caught up in their own thoughts but Eric was the first to break the peace between them. "Pam, how ready are you to strike out on your own again?"

"It is a pleasant thought." She said absently as she thought seriously about his question. "I would like to travel again but to be honest I don't want to leave now that things are getting so interesting with you and Sookie. Maybe in a decade or two when everything finally settles down and your life becomes boring once again I will go out on my own again. Do you wish to get rid of me?"

"No, that is not it child." Eric said. "Clancy's call made me think. If I am to be an effective ruler of three states then I will need to have some people that I trust implicitly in positions of extreme power. There is no other vampire I trust more than you."

"What are you thinking in that brain Eric?" Pam asked him suspiciously.

"Las Vegas is a major outlet in my kingdom; I cannot leave just anyone in power as my top person here. If you wish it, I will leave it to you."

"Why not just leave it to the sheriffs that are here?"

"They are not Sheriffs of my choosing and have not proven themselves to me. I want someone I trust to watch over Nevada for me...at least for a while."

"Is Sandy truly going to Louisiana with us then?" Pam asked.

"Yes, she wants a new start for her mate. I granted her request to come back with us."

"New Orleans needs a new Sheriff, though if you move there and make it your base then the same will be true of Shreveport."

"That's what I was thinking." Eric said. "I don't want us to move just yet. With all the changes that we have gone through and will go through I don't want to add the stress of moving to it and establishing a new base just yet. Later if there is a need for us to move then maybe, but we would need to sit down and talk about it."

"Yes," Pam laughed quietly. "I'm sure Sookie will have an opinion on the matter."

"You too Pam. I would want your opinion too, you can be objective for us."

"Oh good. Count me in. You and Sookie have the best fights."

Eric rolled his eyes. "What do you think of my proposal?"

"Do I need to decide now?"

"No, you can come back with us when we leave."

"Good. I would go anywhere you asked me to but if I have the choice, then I want time to think about it."

"That is reasonable; but if you come back with us then I expect you to travel back to Nevada a few times to oversee things a few times. Call it a test run to see if you will like the job you will be stepping into if you choose it."

"That's reasonable." Pam agreed.

"There will be a car here for us at a quarter 'til eleven to take us to the location for the hearings tonight. Sandy left us some files to go through."

"Is there anything that you will need my opinion on?" Pam asked.

"Your opinion is welcomed but it is your choice. You do not have to stay if you do not wish to."

"Then I will go because I want to feed and have some...fun before we get to the serious stuff."

"Then go and have fun."

Pam kissed Sookie's head before she rolled out of the bed and headed for the door. They were alone again. Eric looked at the clock to see that they had a few hours until they needed to be down stairs to meet their car so he wrapped his arms around Sookie and went into down time.

Sookie took a deep breath and yawned, pulling Eric from his down time. He stayed quiet as she stretched and turned over in his arms. "Good evening Lover."

Sookie peeked through her sleepy eyes to see Eric looking down on her with a small smile. "Hey Eric." She yawned again and turned away from him. "Uh, bathroom."

Eric released her and watched Sookie walk, still nude, into the bathroom. He had to smile to himself because it wasn't very long ago that she would not have ever dreamed of sleeping nude let alone walking through their room naked. He took the opportunity to sit up in the bed and lean against his pillows. A few minutes later Sookie came out of the bathroom and walked back over to the bed. She looked down to the floor and grabbed her panties and slipped them back on before climbing back into the bed. Eric pouted but Sookie just smiled and rolled her eyes.

She settled herself into the bed and mimicked Eric's position. Part of her wanted to pull the sheet up to cover her breasts but a bigger part of her wasn't that fazed. Maybe she was picking up some bad habits from Eric. Eric had remained silent next to her, only reaching over to hold her hand, and she used this time to gather her thoughts. She didn't need their connection to know that he was giving her the time that she needed to think.

"It's been a crazy day." She finally said.

"So I've heard."

"What exactly have you heard?" She asked a bit guardedly.

Eric squeezed her hand. "I got a brief overview of your whole day but I would like to hear it all from you."

Sookie shook her head. "I don't know what to say." She admitted because with the day she had, where exactly _would_ she need to start?

"That's fine." Eric said. "You don't have to say anything. Show me."

Sookie looked at Eric then and they locked eyes. Her mental shield was still closed tightly around her mind so that Eric was unable to do anything but wait for her to remove her shield. She dropped her shields so suddenly that Eric flinched at the hordes of sounds and words and images coming from her. He wasn't able to make sense of anything that he saw until slowly Sookie began to thread her day together for him.

He watched everything from the breakfast with the guards to the walk to the spa. He saw how fascinated people were with her. He felt how good it felt to get her massage. He saw the teasing of her guards and how protective they seemed to be of her already. He saw how relaxed she was for her facial. Then she showed him her talk with Michael. Eric watched as the guards tried to wake her up and was unable too. He could sympathize with them there. When she finally woke and they were able to move he felt the relief of not only their physical selves but their minds.

The fascination hadn't changed when they exited the spa. He heard her playful thoughts as Sookie flipped her hair and he wanted to laugh when in backfired...until he saw the swarm of people rushing to get pictures of her. He was proud of how well the guard did in getting her out of harms way. They were quick and efficient. They seemed to work very well together and they moved without having to check to see where the others were. They each trusted the other to do their work and they each did it.

He expected her to replay what they'd done together, he was interested to see what had stuck out most in her mind but that's not what happened. Instead of going through their intimate time together she went straight to when she stepped out the room to the weary guards. At first he was disappointed with the guards, being so nervous over just some sounds but then he caught the tenor of their thoughts. It wasn't just the sounds that had frightened the guards but the fact that they could feel someone else in the room with them. They didn't hear or see or smell someone but something in their core told them that someone powerful was close.

It pleased Eric to see how they fell back and let Sookie take the lead. When Sookie struck out and was able to find Michael, Eric's heart swelled with pride in his wife. Sookie's thoughts faltered for a moment under the pride of Eric but she pushed through it and kept the thoughts going. They left for lunch with no issue.

It looked as if lunch started out well enough but it soon was shot to hell. He couldn't believe how bad the lunch was going and Eric quickly clamped down on his side of their bond. He watched as Sookie pushed her luck until she finally crossed a line of no return. He saw the light blink out of Michael's eye as their friend and brother Michael disappeared behind Michael who was a general. He watched as the realization of her rash words dawn on her, but it was too late. The memories became chaotic again as he watched Michael leave, and the suddenly Jamal was in front of Sookie and she was leaving too. Her memory dove back into jumbled chaos where he couldn't make heads or tails of what she was thinking when they cleared to her trying to go to the room when Evelyn interrupted. He saw Evelyn speaking but it wasn't computing with Sookie and therefore Eric.

Her memories at this point were disjointed and hectic. Suddenly everyone was gone and Sookie was alone with Eric in the room. She was undressing and her mind was beginning to fog. She was nude and climbed into bed with him, wrapping his arms around herself and a great sorrow passed over her. She clung to his body before the fog overtook her and she fell asleep against him.

At this point Sookie began pulling back into her own mind so she was no longer projecting to Eric. She didn't block her mind off but Eric did. He wanted solitude in his head as he tried to figure out what the hell this meant for them now. Michael was gone. True he vowed not to desert them but still, he wouldn't be available to them in the same capacity. _Fuck._ He wondered if this was just Michael or if the others would take his lead and not come to them either.

How could she be that irresponsible? They both knew how much of themselves bled into one another. They worked hard on not being overrun. Even if she did feel that way, why would she say it? Even worse, Michael had given her what she wanted, why did she have to keep spouting such poison? He saw Sookie's day through her head and perception but he was able to look at it objectively because it hadn't happened to him.

He thought more about what Michael had said and he had to admit that he felt the same about Niall. Niall was the type of fairy that he would never do anything without a reason. Sookie had made a point about Michael using her too and she was right about that too. They are going up against things that they'd never thought possible, so yes Michael and the others were using and maneuvering he and Sookie around but it's nothing compared to what Lilith would do if she ever got her hands on them never mind Niall. Freedom to choose was all well and good but Eric knew that he would rather be led and maneuvered around by an angel they knew was a friend, then to have the freedom to choose and fall into a trap of a powerful demon.

So many emotions flowed through Eric, anger, distrust, frustration, love, forgiveness, resignation, disappointment.... They all made their appearance and Eric clamped down tighter on the bond. He let his emotions swirl within him so that he could feel what he wanted to feel, just him. Then the bed began to shake and Eric looked to the side to find Sookie crying silently into her hands. He body shook the bed with the effort not to make a sound.

No matter what he felt, nothing compared to how he felt when he had to watch Sookie cry. He pushed everything away until only his love and acceptance shined through and he opened the bond again so that she could feel it from him. When she did, her tears were no longer silent. Eric pulled her into his arms and held her close as she cried and covered them both in her silver tears. He didn't try to get her to stop crying, he could feel that she needed the release, so he just held her and rubbed her back as he filled their bond with his love of her.

"It's going to be alright Sookie." He told her over and over and over again until finally the tears began to subside.

Eric grabbed the sheet and used it to wipe her tears away. Sookie lay quietly in Eric's arms and let him take care of her. They sat quietly for a moment. Each waited for the other to speak first but it was Sookie that finally broke the silence.

"I fucked up."

"Yes you did." Eric replied honestly.

"He hates me."

"I seriously doubt that."

"You hate me because I fucked up now."

"I am disappointed that you would let your temper get the best of you, especially with someone who has never given you a reason to distrust him. I think he was right about Niall. You've never seen him clearly."

"He's my family."

"Cain was family to Abel was he not?"

"You agree with Michael? You think that he should have kept Niall and Claudine from me?"

"I actually don't mind Claudine, especially if we could have figured out a way to free her of her obligation to Niall, but yes I agree with Michael."

Sookie flung herself off the bed. She was either going to be pissed or break into pieces and she refused to break into pieces. No one would ever break Sookie Stackhouse.

"I can't believe you!" Sookie spat. "Niall is my family and he would never do anything to hurt me!"

"Just like Jason would never leave you for dead?"

That brought Sookie up short. "He's my family." She repeated and even to her it sounded pathetic.

"That doesn't mean that he would never hurt you. It means that he has a greater chance of hurting you deeper than anyone else." Eric said.

Sookie hung her head. She tried to hold onto her anger but it wasn't valid or righteous and it couldn't stay. "I'm such a fuck up."

Eric walked around the bed and pulled Sookie into his body. "Yes you are but I love you anyway."

She laughed abruptly and hit Eric in the side. "Asshole."

"Of course." Eric laughed with her. "It's why you love me." They laughed and the stress of the room broke.

"I think that I've been under too much stress for too long. I think that we need to have some fun." Sookie declared as she stepped away from Eric. "How about we hit the casinos?"

"As tempting as that sounds we have some work to do tonight." Eric told her.

"What is it now?"

"There are a few cases that were pending before Felipe before he died. We have to rule on them tonight." Sookie's smile faded and her shoulders slumped but Eric kept talking. "After we rule on the cases, I do have a surprise for you."

Her eyes brightened at the mention of a surprise. "I must be stressed because I'm thinking about accepting the surprise sight unseen without a fight." Eric laughed. "What kind of surprise."

"The kind that will get you to relax. The kind that will make you smile. The kind that will make you forget your troubles for a little while so that you can enjoy what's going on in the moment."

"Okay, give it up because that sounds like something I need...right _now_." Sookie said eagerly.

"Sorry Lover, it will have to be after the hearings." Eric told her as he wrapped her in his arms again. He leaned down so that his lips tickled her ear making her shiver. "We could be busy for hours and we will want to take our time."

Sookie shivered again before pulling herself away from Eric so she could think. "Fine, what are we hearing?"

"Three cases. The first is a blood offense between Sheriffs. The second is a contention for an opening Sheriff space. The last is the case of the three vampires that attacked Briel when she was pretending to be you." Eric told her. He walked over to the table where Sandy left all the case files on her way out of the room.

"Do you think we can put on some clothes if we are going to work?" Sookie asked as she walked over to the closet. "Or at the very least put on our robes?"

"I don't think clothes of any type would be conducive to working well." Eric said seriously.

"Nice try Northman." Sookie said as she pulled on her robe and grabbed Eric's. "Now put this on so we can get this work over with." She tossed Eric his robe and walked over to the table.

Eric followed behind her as he put his robe on too. "There are a few other things we need to talk about too."

"What's that?"

"Evelyn and we still need to interview personal security guards."

"I don't need a personal assistant and I don't need security either."

"Look Sookie, I am not letting this go. You need both. You know it. I know it. Everyone knows it. So please stop being difficult and just look through the files for both."

"I may need security but I don't need Evelyn."

"So you are going to plan our coronation all alone?" Eric asked. "You will answer letters and requests and make a calendar of important events. You'll do all that while trying to figure out what to do in order to help the magical community, which is what you said you wanted to do, and get that off the ground? How will you manage all of this Sookie?"

"I will figure it out."

"This is a part of the vampire world that you have never been in before Sookie, how will you figure it out? Who will guide you?"

"Are you saying that you won't help me?"

"No I will help you any way that I can but I cannot be your assistant. I am King which means that I have just as many responsibilities as you do if not more. I will have someone to help me. You need someone to help you too."

"Who is your assistant?"

"Right now it's Sandy. I plan on asking her to take over Victor's place in New Orleans so she will set me up with someone else soon."

"Okay, I need an assistant. Now tell me why it has to be Evelyn."

"I chose Evelyn for you as a temp until you find someone you like better. Sandy gave me a list of people that were worthy of the job and I found that Evelyn was the best suited both professionally and personality wise. I think that Evelyn will be a good fit for you, but if I am wrong then I will have Sandy will bring the other candidate files to you."

"Fine if you think that she will be a good fit then I will give her a chance."

"And the security guards?"

"Jamal, Anthony, and Noah." Sookie answered promptly.

"A personal guard is usually made up of at least six." Eric told her. He went to their luggage and grabbed his laptop before heading back to the table where Sookie still sat. When he had his computer setup he picked up the two CD's that Sandy left behind. One said _Mirage Surveillance_ while the other said _Security Candidates_. He placed the security candidates CD in his computer.

A program automatically opened up and twenty files were under the shifter category and another twenty were under the vampire category. She had chosen three shifters already so he opened the vampire file first.

"Do we have to do it now?" Sookie asked as she watched the computer load the information.

"It has to be done sooner rather than later." Eric replied.

"I understand that but does it have to be done right this second?" Sookie clarified.

"If not now, when?"

"Tomorrow?" She meant for it to be a statement but it still came out as a question. "I promise to look over the candidates tomorrow and I will have three others picked out by the time you wake."

Eric studied Sookie for a moment before he nodded. "Agreed."

"Great, so let's get to the cases. The sooner we go over them, the sooner we can take a shower."

"Ooh a shower." A voice purred as the door opened. "I hope that I'm invited too."

TBC

* * *

A/N: Alright everyone, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. This chapter was a necessary transitional chapter. This will mark the wrap up of Eric and Sookie's time in Las Vegas. I wanted to show how Eric works, even when Sookie is not aware. I thought that I should make this point because Eric and Sookie do spend a lot of time together, but that doesn't mean that Eric doesn't find time to get actual work done.

No this will not be the last we've seen of Michael or the other Angels. It's just that Sookie has to find her own way and right now she's choosing the hard way. Yes Michael is maneuvering Sookie and Eric but it's not for his own gain. It's so that they won't have to take the hard road when they are already having to face so many changes in a short period of time.

If there are any questions please let me know. I am happy to answer any question that doesn't give away the ending of my story. So please review review review and hopefully I will be able to wrap up Las Vegas in the next chapter. Until next chapter....


	36. Chapter 36

Disclaimer: I own nothing that appears in any of the Charlaine Harris books, everything else is mine.

A/N: These next two chapters were intended to be one long chapter but I ran into too many problems writing it. My issues were in different places so rather than continuing to hold out on posting, sorry, I decided to go on and post this part while I continued to work on the next part. So without wasting anymore of you time. Enjoy.

* * *

"You wish." Sookie snarked as she turned to see Pam in the doorway.

"Of course." Pam leered as she walked over to where Sookie and Eric sat at the table.

Eric knew Sookie had replaced her shield when Pam came in. It was automatic, almost a reflex that she hadn't even realized she had done. Eric hadn't bothered but it didn't matter because Pam was concentrating very hard on every place she'd ever lived; beginning when Eric had first changed her. She focused on every detail, every sight and sound and color that she saw.

Pam knew which of her masters was listening to her thoughts because Sookie ignored her as she went back to doing whatever it was that she was doing before Pam entered while she had Eric's full attention.

"Sookie could you give Pam and I a minute alone please?" Eric asked.

Sookie looked from Eric to Pam and back again. _'Is everything okay?'_ She thought to him.

_'I don't know.'_ He admitted. _'But I would appreciate a moment to talk to her alone.'_

_'Enough said.'_ She replied. She got up and walked towards the bathroom but when she got to the doorway she turned back around and thought to Eric, _'I will give both of you privacy.'_ She didn't wait for a response from him before she brought the walls around her mind firmly down; cutting herself off from absolutely everyone, including Eric.

"Thank you." He told her out loud since she couldn't hear him mind to mind anymore. He appreciated that she had given her word not to listen mentally to either of them as they talked, even though he hadn't asked that of her.

"No big deal Eric. I will just go and take a long, hot shower."

Eric and Pam stayed quiet until they heard the water in the shower turn on. Even after they were sure that Sookie was well into her shower they both still sat there looking at one another.

"Are you really going to make me ask Pam?" Eric asked. "You're back from your hunt far earlier than I expected. Have you even eaten?"

"Yes, I'm quite full." Pam hedged as she tried to think of a way to say what happened to her without actually thinking about it.

"Stop avoiding Pam." Eric chided. "It's not something you're good at. Either just tell me what's going on or show me."

"Show you?"

"Stop directing your thoughts and just think about what it was that has happened to have you so spooked."

"I am _not_ spooked."

Eric smirked condescendingly. "Yes and I am a fairy king."

Pam was about to snap back but stopped and took a deep breath. She was spooked, She could hide it from everyone, but Eric was her maker. She couldn't hide her fear from him. So she took a seat and let her mind drift back.

_Pam left immediately when she closed Eric and Sookies' bedroom door. She had already laid out her clothes for the hearing later that night so that she could play until the absolute last minute. _

_She hadn't had the chance yet to check out the casinos, so that would be her first stop. The lights were bright and the room was already packed with both hot and cold bodies. As she walked around the humans looked at her a little curiously...but that could have just been because they noticed random people-vampires-bowing their heads to her respectfully. She had no official title but she was the King's child and for that they showed her deference._

_As she walked around, a beautiful woman caught Pam's eye. The woman was at the black jack table and she was quite striking. Her hair was a fierce fiery red with subtle coppery blond highlights that isn't found on the inside of a box. Her skin was pale and flawless. Her eyes were a clear blue and danced with delight as the dealer declared her the winner and pushed three stacks of chips at her. Her delighted laughter reached Pam's ears making her smile with whimsy. The woman wore an almost sheer midnight blue wrap dress. Pam couldn't see but she was almost positive that she had on stilettos...call it a feeling._

_Pam walked confidently to the empty chair next to the red headed beauty. "Is this seat taken?" She asked politely._

_"No, please." The redhead gestured happily to the seat. "Maybe my beginners luck will rub off on you."_

_"Let's hope." Pam smiled back at her with a wink. She picked up on Pam's double meaning and blushed. "A blush?" Pam teased. "I didn't think that people still did that in this day and age."_

_"Of course they do." The redhead said with a good natured laugh, "Everyone has just been tanned to within an inch of their lives so it's harder to tell."_

_"Very true." Pam conceded. "I'm Pam."_

_"Carrie." The redhead said as she offered Pam a strong handshake. Upon contact with Pam's hand Carrie gasped. "Oh you're cool."_

_"And you are _very_ hot." Pam purred; making Carrie's blush reappear._

_"Would you like to be dealt in ma'am?" The dealer asked politely._

_Pam looked up and the dealer-a vampire-bowed his head respectively. "Yes, but I need chips."_

_"That's no issue just tell me how much you need." He told her without batting an eye, _

_"A thousand should suffice." She finally decided. She could feel Carrie's curiosity. _

_"And how do you want it?"_

_"What's the minimum chip at the table?"_

_"The lady is playing with fifty dollar chips."_

_"Then so shall I."_

_"Fifty dollar chips then." The dealer confirmed and one of the guards handed him the clipboard. The dealer signed it and then handed it to Pam so she could sign it too. When she handed the clipboard back a guard opened the rolling till and took out twenty chips and placed them in front of Pam. With a nod they left the table and the dealer turned back to them._

_"Alright ladies, place your bets." The dealer told them. When they both did he began throwing cards for the next game._

_"Whoa, I've never seen table service outside of the high rollers suite." Carrie said as she looked at her cards. "Are you someone special?"_

_"I hope that you will come to think so." Pam replied silkily._

_"Cards?" The dealer asked._

_Pam looked at her hand and saw she had a nine of hearts and a king of clubs. "I'll stay."_

_"Hit me." Carrie said and the dealer tossed her another card. "Again." She looked at her next card. "I'll stay."_

_"Dealer will take one card." He said. "I'll call." He turned over his cards to reveal a queen of diamonds, an eight of spades, and a nine of diamonds. "Dealer has busted."_

_Pam turned over her cards on the table. "Nineteen."_

_"Oh crap." Carrie replied as she turned over her cards; a queen of spades, a five of hearts and a two of clubs. "Seventeen."_

_"The chips to the lady." The dealer replied as he shoved everyone's chips back at Pam. A young couple came to sit at the table and it all began again. "Everyone's bet on the table please."_

They laughed and played and flirted through a few more hands and Pam's mind began to swirl. She moved forward to the next memory she felt relevant. Eric watched as Pam flashed her fangs and Carrie's eyes dilating with desire.

_Pam offered Carrie her hand and Carrie took it without hesitation._

_"Are you hungry?" She asked._

_Pam looked at her for a deeper meaning but she just found curiosity. "Yes."_

_"For my body or my blood?"_

_Again Pam looked at Carrie and again Carrie just looked curious and nothing more. "Both." Pam answered honestly. _

_A small smile appeared on Carrie's face as if Pam had said exactly what she expected. They were almost out of the casino before Carrie spoke again. "I have a room that overlooks the volcano."_

_"Hmmm, let's see if I can make you both explode at the same time." Pam teased, laughing as Carrie blushed fiercely._

_Carrie began to lead the way towards the nearest elevators towards her room. She pushed the button as they waited alone. "I've never been with a woman."_

_"It's okay Carrie. This is an experience you will enjoy immensely. I will bring you great pleasure."_

_"I've never been with a vampire before either." She admitted._

_Pam smiled at Carrie's admission. She had known that Carrie's experience with vampires had been minimal if anything at all because she didn't even get the faintest hint of another on her skin. The scent of a vampire, even if there's no sex and just blood take, lasts an extremely long time. It's what makes fang bangers so repulsive to the older vampires with more sensitive senses; the smell of multiple vampires on a person is not a pleasant thing. "Well, this is going to be a night you won't ever forget."_

_The elevator opened and Pam stepped in. When she was turned around Carrie hadn't stepped in yet. Pam held out her hand. If Carrie didn't take it then she would let it be. If she took her hand then Pam was resolved to make this the most unforgettable night of her life. The door was about to close when Carrie's hand shot out to stop it. She took Pam's hand and stepped into the elevator. As soon as the elevator doors closed, Pam pushed Carrie against the wall and kissed her cherry flavored tips fiercely. Carrie was frozen in shock but in the next moment she returned Pam's passionate kiss. Pam ran her fingers through Carrie's flaming locks before grabbing hold and yanking her head back roughly. _

_Carrie moaned as Pam nipped and teased her exposed neck. Pam's free hand snaked around Carrie's waist and pulled her impossibly closer. She placed feather light kisses up and down Carrie's neck that contrasted drastically to the firm hold he had on her hair and it drove Carrie crazy. She ran her nose up Carrie's overheated skin and inhaled deeply. "You smell delectable." Pam purred._

_"I bet I taste even better." Carrie responded breathlessly._

_Pam growled lightly as she scraped her fangs over the thumping pulse in her neck. It wasn't enough to draw blood but it was enough for Carrie cry out with her hips bucking against Pam._

_"I will find out in all due time." She promised and then licked Carrie's ear and inhaled deeply again. Her scent really was heady and intoxicating. With a moan of anticipation Pam said. "I will find out if _all_ of you tastes as delectable as you smell." Carrie shivered and Pam abruptly stepped away. _

_Carrie made a valiant effort to stand on her own but her legs were no longer strong enough to support her weight. Pam's arm shot out to grab her by the arm, keeping Carrie from falling. Not a moment later the elevator dinged and the doors opened to a small group of middle aged humans with bright smiles, laughing and joking with one another._

_"Excuse us." One of the women said as they moved out of Pam's way._

_"Thank you." Pam replied as she guided a still shaky Carrie through the group. They looked at the pair questioningly but none asked anything as one group got off and the other got back on the elevator. _

_As soon as they cleared the closing elevator doors Pam swept Carrie into her arms and Carrie wrapped her arms around Pam's neck. Carrie told Pam her room number and Pam carried them there swiftly. She didn't put Carrie down when they came to the right door but held her while she opened the door for them. Neither said a word as Pam carried them over the thresh hold. _

_Carrie looked at Pam, not knowing what to say. She had never done this before. She didn't know how it was supposed to go. Seeing her turmoil, Pam kissed her soundly and thoroughly. She walked them through the room until she was standing next to the bed. Neither said anything as Pam knelt in front of Carrie and began to unbuckle her heel. First one and then the other. She kept hold of her foot while she pulled the shoes off, sitting them to the side. Pam caressed Carrie's legs lightly, slowly moving them upward until she came to the lace on her thighs. She gently removed those too._

_Pam kissed each of her thighs before she leaned back so that they could lock eyes. Pam never broke eye contact as she let her fingers dance lightly over Carrie's panties, causing a shudder to ripple through her body. She smirked as the let her fingers dip inside of the panties and slowly pulled them down. She finally broke eye contact in order to look at Carrie's sex; she couldn't help but purr when she saw the glistening folds that seemed to call her by name. _

_As much as she wanted to dive right in she knew she couldn't. She already knew how this seduction would go and she refused to deviate. Instead she blew her cool breath over Carrie's overheated sex._

_"Pam!" Carried gasped as she shuddered and placed a hand on Pam shoulders to keep herself standing._

_"I think I have a promise to keep if I remember correctly." She murmured as she stood slowly, making sure that every part of her body touched Carrie's. _

_Pam pulled on the fabric that tied the bow that kept Carrie's dress from falling open. Her dress fell open between them and Pam brushed it off her shoulders, letting it fall between them. Her bra soon followed. Pam pulled her forward and captured Carrie's parted lips with her own. Her hands roamed all over her body, learning its topography. Carrie twined her hands into Pam's luxurious locks, pulling her closer. Pam's hands locked around Carrie's waist and she had a feeling of weightlessness for a moment. She gasped when something cool and hard pressed into her back. She turned around to see the great volcano just barely coming to life. The show was just beginning._

_"It looks like the show has already begun." Pam told her while she licked and sucked at her collar bone. "Do you think I can keep my promise?"_

_"You could try."_

_"Mmm, that sounds like a challenge." Pam purred._

_Carrie opened her mouth to quip back when suddenly she was spun around so that her breasts, instead of her back, was pressed in upon the cold glass. Pam pressed her whole body against Carrie's, pinning her entire body. "Don't move." She ordered._

_She swept Carrie's hair to the side and exhaled against her shoulder making goose bumps appear on her perfect skin. Her hands were light and teasing. They flowed over Carrie's body like a leaf treading water bringing sounds that Carrie herself hadn't realized she was able to make. Pam's finger glided over her folds to find them bare and soaked._

_"So wet for me." Pam moaned as she explored Carrie's core._

_Carrie opened her mouth but only a strangled sound came out as her hot breath fogged the window. It was taking all she could to stay on her feet. _

_"I'm so hungry Carrie." Pam purred. "Won't you feed me?" Carrie tried to answer but her voice had long ago been lost. As Pam pressed two fingers into her core her whole body shivered; an action that Pam took as an affirmative._

_Pam dropped to her knees and pulled Carrie's hips back. Carrie groaned at the loss of intimate contact. Pam pulled her legs further apart and pulled on her hips a bit more until only Carrie's upper body was still touching the large window. Carrie hadn't even orgasmed yet and she was already putty in Pam's hands. She knew without a doubt that Pam would need to only call her name for her to be there. She shivered again as Pam's hands lightly touched the inside of her thighs, without actually touching where she wanted her the most. She bucked her hips but Pam's hands still skated over where she wanted those talented fingers most and she wanted to scream._

_Pam inhaled the tangy scent of Carrie. "Delectable." She couldn't resist any longer and she pressed her lips to Carrie's. Her tongue was skilled. Her fingers, practiced. She brought Carrie to the brink over and over again just to back off before she could orgasm. Carrie screamed out, moaned, bucked, and pleaded. She did everything she could think of in order to get Pam to let her finish but Pam was not one to be rushed. She liked the power that she felt as she thrust her tongue deep into Carrie's depths while she begged for mercy. _

_As she paid homage to Carrie's most intimate alter, Pam heard the show outside at the volcano come to a great crescendo; and it was then she decided to take pity on Carrie. She thrust three of her fingers deep inside her depths and curled them under while her mouth latched onto Carrie's swollen sensitive nub taking care to graze it with the flat of her fang. Carrie's body convulsed and Pam slid her free hand to wrap around Carrie's back to keep her up right as she came with a great shudder. _

_She filled Pam's mouth with her nectar as Pam continued to thrust her fingers inside of her and leisurely lapped her tongue at her clit, drawing out her orgasm. In the next moment Pam bit Carrie's femoral artery and this time her mouth was filled with the heady bouquet of her blood. It had a pure and natural sweetness that seemed to become sweeter with every draw of blood she took. She reveled in the sweet taste and she drank deeply from this untapped well._

_It was then that she felt it. Just as soon as she felt it the feeling was gone, but that didn't matter. She knew what she felt. It was power. It wasn't just power but a particular power that Pam recognized. It was power that she recognized because she had felt it before. It was power that she had felt before that she recognized as evil; pure evil. More importantly it was pure evil power that she had come in contact with just days before. Evil she hadn't felt since she kissed the demon that disguised himself as an Archangel. It was Dragxin. _

As soon as the realization hit it was as if cold water had been poured on Eric. He kept most of his attention on Pam's memories but another part of him flared to life. It was a part of his bond and he opened it. This time instead of letting his power fill him so that he would transform with his golden eyes and lightning encrusted enclosure, he pushed it outward; but this wasn't the same release of power that he and Sookie do during sex so that they don't open the earth. This push of power had purpose.

Pam shivered as Eric's power rolled over her. She continued to show Eric what happened after she realize what and who she had felt. She showed him how she gathered a slightly blood drained, and completely blissed out, Carrie and put her nude for to bed before she redressed herself with the speed of a vampire before she left. She poked at their bond and felt that Eric was alright as she raced back to their room. Her memories slowed as she composed herself before she opened his door and then Eric was just left with her thoughts as her tale completed.

When Pam's memories were done Eric didn't speak, he just concentrated on pushing his power out. He'd noticed that when he and Sookie let their power out during sex that they could feel everyone that it covers; so to him this was just and extension of that. Surely he doesn't need to be having sex in order to have his power to be able to roll over everyone. As his power rolled over Sookie he felt her tremble in the shower before she opened the bond some on her own side so that she could add her power to his. She didn't know what they were looking for but she pushed her power out with his and together their power sought what all was around them.

Their power was heavy and it weighed on the supes that it engulfed. It took them a few moments to work out how to move around it. For them it was as if they were moving through water, it could be done but it slows you down. Some humans that were sensitive to the supernatural looked around as if they could actually see Eric and Sookie close by. The ones who weren't sensitive shivered at the unexplainable warmth that seemed to be all around them. Men loosened their ties and woman began to fan themselves.

Through it all neither Eric or Sookie found anything that shouldn't have been...until they got to Carrie's room. There was a black spot on the far wall and Eric guessed that that was the spot where he stood. He wasn't there anymore but the fact that he had been troubled Eric. Thinking back to where Pam's memories had placed her and Carrie. Dragxin's position would have given him a perfect view of her intimate encounter. They both felt Carrie's unconscious form shudder and fight againt the covers.

They continued to push their power out until it encased the entire resort and part of the street but they found nothing more. It was only then that Eric pulled his power back and Sookie followed. It was harder, like always, to pull their power back than it was to push it out. It didn't want to be contained. It wanted to be free. Though their minds were still closed to one another still, they both mused about how their power seemed to be personified at times. Was it a clear reflection of what they both wanted or needed or wanted? Or was it just the unconscious desire of one manifestation for both; but if that was it then who's feeling was is? Neither had the time to examine it. They pushed the last of their power back into the bond and then closed it off tightly. Once again they were alone in their own bodies.

Sookie stepped out of the shower, though she let it continue to run so that it would dampen Eric and Pam's voices. She dried off and plugged in her curling iron and began her ritual for getting dressed, beginning with lathering her body with lightly scented vanilla and sandalwood moisturizer.

"He's gone." Eric told Pam. "There was no other sign of him except in one spot in Carrie's room."

"Meaning he knew to come directly there." Pam thought out loud.

"Do you think she was a spy?"

Pam didn't take offense but thought hard about his question before she answered honestly. "My tastes are so varying, how could they guarantee I chose their person? I don't think she is a spy but anything is possible."

"Find out what you can and report back to me."

"Okay."

"More time has passed us by than we've realized." Eric noted as he looked at the clock on the nightstand. "Go get dressed and then come back here."

Pam got up. "Did you want my opinions on any of the pending cases?"

"No, they are pretty straight forward."

With a small nod Pam was gone. Eric sat alone for a minute trying to wrap his mind over what he'd learned. He wanted to know what Dragxin was doing in that room, If Pam found Carrie to be a spy or traitor of some sort then she would be dealt with swiftly. He wouldn't call Michael just yet. He and Sookie would do random sweeps of their surroundings to make sure everything was okay. If something more pressing came up then he would contact the others.

Eric stood and walked towards the bathroom, throwing his robe off on the way. The water was still running but when he walked in he saw Sookie sitting on the closed toilet, rubbing lotion over her shoulders and on her neck.

"Hey, could you get my back?" Sookie asked him as she stood and turned so that her back faced him.

"Your back?" Eric asked as he took the lotion from her hand. "Is that all that I get?"

"If we are going to make it to the hearing on time...yes." She replied smiling.

"You know I thought that once we were so tightly bound, you would be less inhibitive." He mused as he lightly massaged the lotion over her smooth skin.

"Sorry to disappoint." She groused.

"You're no disappointment." Eric told her as he rubbed the last of the lotion and then turned her around. "You should know better than most how much I like a challenge."

Sookie smiled reminiscently. "Yeah, I couldn't get rid of you no matter what I tried."

"You fought me very hard." Eric conceded.

"Okay, maybe you do like a challenge." She said with a soft kiss. "Or maybe you're just a glutton for punishment."

"Normally I would say that we should stay and try to figure it out, but you're right. I need to start getting ready." With another chaste kiss Eric stepped into the shower.

Sookie went to the dresser and donned an emerald strapless bra and panty set, then walked back into the bathroom and sat at the vanity to do her hair. She pulled the top into a french twist and began curling the rest in very loose curls, She wanted to look nice but not like she was a barbie.

Eric stepped out of the shower and walked behind Sookie as he dried himself with a towel. He smiled at her progress before walking into the bedroom completely naked. Sookie smiled but didn't say one word as she finished her hair. She kept her makeup light with just some tinted gloss and a little eye shadow and blush. She turned off the curling iron and walked out the bathroom just as Eric was walking back to the bathroom. As they passed one another in the doorway Eric pressed himself against Sookie, pinning her to the doorway.

"Eric..." Sookie breathed as she automatically moved her hands to his still naked chest. He was only partially dressed in a pair of dark washed jeans and she would bet her last dime that he was going commando underneath.

"Is there something you want to say Sookie?" Eric asked as he pressed a gentle kiss to the sensitive spot just below her ear.

"I-uh...Eric." Sookie stammered as she tried to form a coherent sentence. He wasn't pushing his emotions at her or influencing her in any way. He just had this much effect on her and he reveled in it.

"Hmm I guess not." Eric purred. He kissed her just at the corner of her parted lips and then stepped on into the bathroom.

It took Sookie a full minute to remember how to move again. She looked into the bathroom to find Eric brushing his damp hair out at the vanity. She glared at him even though they both knew she wasn't mad, and then all but stomped back into the bedroom. She was in the closet and allowed herself to smile at his antics.

She dug through the different outfits until she came across an emerald strapless dress with a vertical pleat at the bust. Right below the bust was pearly white sash that tied into a big bow on the back. The dress flared out slightly and fell a few inches above the knee. She debated for a moment on whether to wear it or not but went with it when she saw the matching emerald floor length jacket with a pearly white lining hanging next to it.

Sookie unzipped the side of the dress and slipped it on before zipping it back up. As with the other outfits, she didn't have to look far for shoes. On the floor just to the left of where her dress hung was a pair of hunter green, almost black, peep toe pumps with a clasp around the ankle. She grabbed those and her jacket to walk back into the bedroom where she found Eric sitting on the edge of the bed lacing his black boots.

"Wow, you look exquisite Sookie." Eric complimented. His eyes were sparkling as he licked his lips appreciatively."

"Thank you." Sookie smiled, giving him a little turn so that he could see the whole dress. When she turned back around the look on Eric's face wiped the smile off her face. His lips were parted and his eyes were dilated with a hunger that had nothing to do with her dress. "Eric, business first." Sookie told him. "We take care of the hearings first and then we can christen the desert afterward."

A low growl rumbled through Eric's chest. He shook his head before he stood and walked over to Sookie. "Nothing and no one has ever had the effect that you have on me. You are an addiction I never want to be rid of. The more of you I taste, the more of you I want."

"Thank you." She replied with a small smile. "I mean I think that there was a compliment somewhere in there I'm sure, I'm just too busy looking at your lips. They're perty."

Eric roared with laughter as he stepped back from her and walked back over to the bed so he could finish tying his boots. It was then that Sookie was able to get a good look at him. He paired a white dress shirt with his jeans, leaving the top two buttons undone. He braided the top of his hair in an intricate design that made her jealous. She had only seen his hair braided like this once before and that was when he followed her to Mississippi. When he was done he stood and she saw that he was wearing the belt with the Viking ship buckle.

Damn, he looked like sex waiting to happen. Eric looked at her and raised an eyebrow. She probed the wall between their minds to find it completely gone. Sookie blushed and went to the bed and sat in the spot Eric vacated. He let that particular thought go because it would only lead to one place and they've already established that they don't have the time for it.

When Sookie had both of her shoes buckled she stood. "Does this look okay?" She replied.

"You look perfect Lover." Eric replied.

"Am I too dressy? I'm sure I have a pant suit I can wear instead."

"No Sookie you look beautiful and feminine and delicious and...what was I talking about?"

Sookie rolled her eyes. "Okay I will keep this on...but only because your behind looks so freaking fantastic in those jeans."

Eric laughed. "Even through all of this, my bottom is still your favorite part of me?"

"You bet your sweet...well you know." Sookie laughed and Eric joined her.

"So what are we going to do about these cases?" She asked when they calmed.

"We have the basis for them already." Eric told her as he led her to the door. "So we just hear everyone out and rule based on the information we have."

Sookie put on her jacket and made sure that she had her cell phone in the pocket. "I guess I can't stall anymore."

"No my love." Eric smiled as he opened the door to find Pam standing there, ready to go. "It's time to, as they say, get this show on the road."

TBC

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A/N: So...I've never written girl on girl before so I hope it came out okay. Normally I would say "A review is like...." and use something pertaining to this chapter but I don't think I will on this one. I will just say please review and I hope you liked it. I just didn't want Pam to be left out of the love fest, besides she almost died...I owed her.

Thank you all very much. I cannot tell you how much your support means to me. There are no words....


	37. Chapter 37

Disclaimer: I own nothing that appears in any of the Charlaine Harris books.

I won't torture you with an A/N right now so read the chapter now and I will save the A/N for later. Enjoy....

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It took a long time for the bright lights of Las Vegas to fade from the back window of the limo. Eric, Pam and Sookie sat with the different files spread between them as they talked out their cases. Pam didn't have an interest in any of it. Who cared who the new Sheriff was going to be? She looked at the candidate files and they were all qualified and boring. The people who attacked Sookie would die. The only interesting thing about that would be when it was time to dole out the death sentences. She really didn't give a flying shit about a blood offense against another Sheriff's human; again the interesting part on that one would come when it was time for the punishments. Needing something to do she decided to go through the candidates for Sookie's personal guards. To be honest she was a little disappointed when she found out how easily Sookie gave in to the fact that she needed a guard. She was really hoping for a fight so that she could take her mind off of what happened to her and Carrie earlier tonight. Before her mind could go any further she forced herself to focus on the potential guards.

"How many guards do you have already Sookie?" Pam asked as she marked another candidate to come back to.

"Three." Sookie responded absently. She was focusing really hard on the cases while Eric was telling her the standard punishments for such things. "Jamal, Anthony, and Noah."

Okay, if she had three then she would at least need three more. Pam whittled down her list to six more Were's and twelve vampires. She knew what Eric would be looking for in Sookie's security. She also knew what Sookie would most likely subject them to and she chose them accordingly. They varied from men to women to almost every race under the sun with only one thing that connected them all...skill. She saved the changes she'd made to the program and closed the laptop just as the limo began to slow.

"I've whittled it down to eighteen for you Sookie."

"Thanks for doing that for me Pam." Sookie said absently as she shifted the files off of her lap so that she could look out the window at where they were. "I told you that you didn't have to do it."

Pam just shrugged. "I like to keep busy."

Sookie barely heard what she said as she tried to take in as much of the scene as she could. At first she couldn't tell where they were, only that they were in the desert. She still couldn't tell but from the looks of things it looked like a party going on in the desert. There were vampires everywhere and someone was playing music. Everyone was parked in a humongous circle two, and some three, cars deep. There was even a large delivery truck in the mix.

There was an open space clearly left for them and the driver pulled right into it and then opened their doors. The music instantly got louder with the open door. Eric got out first and offered Sookie his hand. Sookie offered him a brief smile as she continued looking around trying to take it all in. It was then that she noticed that it wasn't only vampires present but humans and a few Were's also. Eric led them into the circle of supes that parted for them as they walked by. Sandy appeared out of thin air next to them.

"Everything is ready for you to proceed as you wish." Sandy told Eric. He nodded and they kept walking. Sandy fell back so that she was now behind Eric and Sookie and walking next to Pam. They nodded respectfully to one another and kept pace with their King and Queen.

Eric could feel Sookie's mind swirling as she took in this part of vampire culture that she had never been exposed to. "Usually before a court is convened the subjects will play music and dance and mingle with one another." Eric told her. "The trials can get very stressful for everyone and this is a way for them to compensate and prepare for that."

"It wasn't like that in Rhodes." Sookie pointed out as she continued to take in her surroundings.

"It differs from kingdom to kingdom and regent to regent." Eric explained. "Even in Rhodes there were small gatherings in the smaller banquet rooms for the vampires. The last thing anyone wants is tense supernaturals for extended periods of time, vampires especially."

Sookie giggled. "Vampires can get restless?"

"Yes, only when we do blood usually ends up flowing."

His statement brought Sookie up short as she studied his serious face. If she were being honest with herself she would admit that the last thing she wanted to be around is restless vampires.

They broke through the bodies to the center of the circle where two make shift thrones sat upon a platform so that they would be above everyone else even sitting. The message in that was not lost on Sookie. There were two more chairs sitting on either side of the platform also. In front of the platform was a large spike with three large chains bound to it and that was it. Everyone was parked and congregated around this area.

As soon as they stepped into the center circle someone cut off the music. All eyes were on their small group of four. Sookie forced herself not to fidget and to hold her head high under the piercing stares of so many. She threw up her shields so that no one was in her mind as she let Eric lead her up the platform. She started to sit but Eric squeezed her hand to stop her and they stood above their retinue.

"King Eric Northman and Queen Sookie Northman." Sandy announced in a clear voice.

In one motion everyone knelt to the ground before their regents. Sookie looked around and even those behind them were kneeling. She shook her head; only vampires could be so choreographed and graceful at the same time. As she looked at everyone She could see the familiar forms of Jamal and Noah and Anthony kneeling behind them, the closest to the platform besides Pam and Sandy. Eric squeezed her hand again to get her attention and then motioned for her to take her seat. Once Sookie was seated Eric finally sat.

"You may stand." He told everyone. When they stood in one movement he spoke again. "We are here to rule over three cases. One is a matter of treason. Another is a matter of choosing a new Sheriff. The third is a matter of a blood offense. The first case we are calling is choosing a new Sheriff for area two in Carson City. Everyone pertinent to the case step forward."

Two women and four men had stepped up. Sandy also stood with her file in hand. She called each person by name and their position on the case. "Vacating the position is Sheriff Thomas." An average sized vampire stepped forward. He was handsome but not in an unattainable sort of way. His blond hair was slicked back with gel, making it darker than what it would have normally been. His eyes were dark brown but had a small twinkle that hid behind the shrewdness. He was dressed simply in black pants and a red button down shirt. He locked eyes with both Eric and Sookie before bowing deeply at the waist. Eric lifted his hand and Sheriff Thomas stood back up. "Sheriff Thomas has been in Nevada for the last hundred and twenty seven years, and has held the position of Sheriff for the last fifty."

Sandy looked to Eric to see if he would say something, when he didn't she continued.

"The first contender for the Sheriff spot is Jericho." Another vampire stepped forward. He was maybe an inch or two taller than Sookie. His skin must have been dark in life because even as a vampire he had a slight olive complexion. His hair was black and shiny and hung in thick ringlets down to his shoulders. His eyes were dark brown, almost black, and seemed to be without expression. His bow was stiff and Eric barely raised his hand before he stood again. "Jericho is three hundred and fifty four years old. He's been in the US for a hundred years. Was Sheriff in California for seventy five years until he resigned and came to Nevada."

Sookie didn't like him just on sight and neither did Eric. The difference is that Eric didn't have to like the person he gave a job to. He just needed someone who would do a good job.

"The second contender is Ashton March." As Ashton stepped forward Sookie couldn't help but smile. He was completely gorgeous. She placed him at about Eric's height, give an inch or two in either direction. His hair was a natural red and, though it was braided, hung to about mid thigh. His features were perfection as if they were crafted by the hands of an artist. He was almost intimidating. She definitely thought he was prettier than she was but that was nothing new because she thought the same thing about Eric. Ashton's eyes were pale green and they seemed to twinkle with mischief. Somehow it reminded her of when Eric was doing something bad on purpose in order to get to her. He was beautiful. He was pretty. He would never be mistaken for a woman or a sissy but he would never be in the same class as Eric either. The only thing that marred his beautiful face was an ugly scar that went from his temple and curled around his neck. It was fresh definitely but didn't seem to be healing. Someone had stitched his skin together in an effort to close the wound. "Ashton is two hundred and three years old and resided in Massachusetts for one hundred years before coming to Nevada. He is an established businessman and is an asset to the kingdom." Ashton bowed low and gracefully. It wasn't mocking but it wasn't entirely serious either. Sookie suppressed a giggle and Eric turned to her with a raised eyebrow. She looked sheepishly at him and shrugged. If Ashton was nothing else, he was entertaining. Eric rolled his eyes and raised his hand dismissively. Ashton stood with a devious smile.

"The next four were not final contenders but did apply for the job none the less. Isa Moralis, four hundred six from Italy; has been in Nevada the last forty years." A short female stepped forward. She was probably no taller than five-two or three. Her black hair was pulled back in a drastic bun that seemed almost painted on. Her beautiful face showed no signs of life. Her eyes didn't twinkle and there was no sense of personality. She wasn't haughty or stern or vivacious or...anything. She just was. Her bow though graceful like the other vampires, was also without personality. Sookie couldn't help but wonder what had happened to her to make her just...exist instead of truly living. She stood just as gracefully when Eric acknowledged her.

"Sharon Carr- two hundred years old from Texas. She has been in Nevada for twenty years." Sharon Carr was beautiful, easily stepping out at six feet. She was voluptuous and all her curves were in the best possible spots. Sookie knew what it was like to be blessed in the hip and breast departments and from the looks of it Sharon knew about it even better than Sookie. Her eyes were electric blue and almost seemed fake. She had high cheekbones and perfectly sculpted features. She's the type of woman that could walk into any room and automatically make every other woman feel like they were wearing a potato sack and had something hanging out of their noses. This was the type of woman that women hated just on principle. When she bowed it was like an actress taking her turn in the spot light at the end of a memorable performance. Ugh, she was the worst kind of beauty; she was the kind of beauty that knew what she was and how to use it. It made Sookie smile as she felt the indifference to Sharon's act come through their bond. Eric waved her away as he would do a fly.

"Corbon Stevens, five hundred four and a new arrival to Nevada. He comes to us from Russia." Corbon was handsome with smooth dark skin that looked like silk. His hair was cropped very short. His facial features were plain at first sight. He really didn't leave an impression, but the longer Sookie studied him the more features she was able to pull. He was handsome, though not in a conventional way. His stance was confident. His chocolate eyes were sharp and shrewd and seemed to be picking up everything going on around him. Even his expression seemed calculated and assessed. She wasn't listening to his mind but Sookie bet that if she did she would hear how his mind was trying to maneuver everything to his advantage. In the papers it said that he was a Sheriff but it didn't mention why he would leave the position to come to America. "Corbon came at the request of the old regime and only agreed to come in order to fulfill his blood debt. He applied to stay and was granted that right." Sookie could feel the curiosity coming off Eric and looked over to see that he was examining Corbon just as stringently as she, though she was sure that he was noticing very different things than she did. With a wave of Eric's hand Corbon stood, still attracting their attention like a science project.

"Lastly we have Michael." Sandy announced. At the sound of the name Sookie tensed. Eric grabbed her hand but it didn't relax her this time. It didn't matter that this Michael was not an Archangel but another black potential Sheriff. His name still sent shivers throughout her body. Eric pushed soothing feelings through the bond as Sandy continued. "Michael is seven hundred and nineteen years old from Rome. He is in a run off to become the first Vampire mayor in Nevada for Carson City. Last polling shows that he's neck and neck with his competitor. His election will be a landmark. He has dwelled in Nevada for the last ninety years." Michael bowed gallantly and Eric quickly waved him away. It was only then that Sookie began to relax.

She thought that she was being silly because she knew before they got here that the vampire's name was Michael and she couldn't figure out why it was affecting her this way now. Maybe she had a guilty conscience because she knew she owed Michael an apology. She didn't know how she was going to manage that because she was almost positive that he wouldn't come if she called him. It didn't make it any better that she knew how disappointed Eric was in her. Yes he showed her his forgiveness and acceptance but there was still that feeling there. She had felt it once before from him but it passed too quickly for her to identify. Now, she was scared to even try. She gave herself a mental shake because she could feel the concern coming from Eric though the bond. She sent her gratitude through the bond and smiled at him so that he could know that she was okay.

When Sandy was done speaking she sat back down and Eric stood again. "My Queen and I have reviewed each of your files and have come to a decision as to who should be the next Sheriff of Carson City." He closed his eyes for a moment in focus and in the next moment his sword was in his hand. The crowd shifted restlessly but no one spoke. Eric and Sookie had gone back and forth over this decision on the way over but were confident in their decision. He threw his sword before the contenders where it pierced the earth and stood erect and proud. "The office of Sheriff is one of great responsibility. I have to rely on my Sheriffs to act in my stead and act in the best interest of this kingdom. Loyalty is what it is all about. If you are serious about taking this position then step forward and pick up my sword."

_'Eric aren't you going to warn them of what could possibly happen?'_ Sookie thought.

_'Why should I?'_ Eric responded. _'They would only be harmed if they mean either of us harm; and if that's the case then it is better that we and everyone else knows that now instead of an uprising later.'_

_'Freaking vampires....'_ Was the only response Sookie could come up with. She really hated it when he had a point. She really hated it when she agreed with his points. Is he being just that logical or has she spent too much time around vampires that she's thinking more and more like them?

The potential Sheriffs stood there for a moment in contemplation but of everyone, Isa and Ashton were the first to step forward. They reached for the sword at the exact same time; both determined to be the first to prove themselves. They made contact at the same time. Ashton's larger hand easily gripped the hilt of the sword while Isa's smaller hand was partially covered by his as she held the tip end of the sword. They barely spared each other a glance before two bolts of golden lightning encased them individually. The other potential contestants stepped backward as a low pitched humming reverberated from the stunned pair.

Then just as soon as it began the humming stopped and the lightning retreated back into the sword; leaving Ashton and Isa shell shocked but unharmed. Sookie was surprised the most by the fact that there was finally an expression on Isa's face. At least there was something that could extract a reaction from her impassive face. At the moment both she and Ashton were panting, trying to get their bearings as they hastily released the sword. Ashton looked a bit shaky and Isa looked as if it was all she could do not to drop to her knees.

"Who will be next?" Eric asked as he looked to where Sharon, Corbon, Michael, and Jericho stood. None of them were jumping for the chance to experience whatever the hell that was that Ashton and Isa went through. With calculations running through his mind at every possible advantage and disadvantage Corbon was the next to step up.

It was easier for him because he knew what to expect from watching Ashton and Isa. However, when he had the weight of a thousand years pressing against him, the low pitch humming in his ears as the sword vibrated in his hand he realized that he had been trying to account for the unaccountable. When the sword released him, he was just as shaky as his predecessors; but quickly recovered. You know what they say, 'fake it until you make it'.

Michael stepped up next. The final thought through his mind being 'what the hell...' before he closed his hand around the sword. When he was released, it took the strength of his every year to stay on his feet. He stepped back and tried to figure out just what the hell happened as all eyes turned to Sharon and Jericho.

"Ladies first." Jericho sneered at Sharon who, for a vampire, was unusually pale.

Sharon seemed to gather herself under the snide remark. "Fine, I see it's my turn to man up while you bitch up." And with her indignation flaring she grabbed Eric's sword.

As everyone watched as Sharon was encased in gold lightning Eric's attention was caught by Jericho who was moving away from the group of contenders while everyone was entranced with Sharon. Sookie, watching the same thing, grabbed Eric's hand and squeezed to get his attention. He looked to her to see her staring in the same spot that he was already looking. Eric squeezed her hand back in acknowledgement. When the sword released Sharon she fell to the ground panting as if she actually needed breath to survive. Everyone just watched her until she was able to regain herself and stand again.

Everyone looked over to see Jericho one step away from entering the crowd. He froze and looked around-seeming to flounder for a moment before he gathered himself. He stepped back towards the thrones-though he made sure to stay away from Eric's sword. He took a moment to gather himself before he spoke.

"I am humbled at the opportunity given to me by your majesties." He bowed low to the ground before standing. "Though I was a contender for the position, I have been rethinking that choice. With Felipe gone I think I would like to travel again for a while. So with my deepest apologies, I withdraw myself from contention in this election." Again he bowed deeply, but this time he didn't stand, but waited for either Eric or Sookie to speak."

"I accept your withdrawal." Eric said after a moment. Jericho straightened with a small smirk on his face...until Eric spoke again. "Bring me my sword, since there are no others that need to be tried."

Jericho blanched (as much as a vampire is able to). If anyone looked closely they would have been just able to see the wheels in his head turning furiously. "I would be honored to handle such a powerful object, but I dare not. I feel that I am unworthy to do so and I dare not to besmirch it, and by extension you your majesty."

Jericho's silver tongue was almost enough to bring a smile to Eric's face..._almost._ Sookie shook her head. She thought that Jericho could tap dance on water if he had to.

"That was the wrong thing to say." Sookie observed out loud. She didn't need her bond to know that Eric's curiosity was piqued. She thought that he would see how long he could get Jericho to tap dance while he figuratively shot at his feet to keep him going. "Now you're going to have to pick up the sword."

"Because my Queen demands it?" He asked. There was a flicker of something behind his eye when he spoke but just as soon as it came, it was gone again.

"No, because your King will."

"I have proven unworthy and would humbly wish to keep what is sure to be an extension of his royal highness unsullied." He spoke after a moment of thought.

"And that right there is why you will have to touch the sword." Sookie responded. "This dance you're doing attracts attention rather than detracting."

"Enough." Eric finally said. "Do you mean to do harm to me, my Queen, or my kingdom?"

"No." Jericho answered smoothly.

"Then bring me my sword." Eric ordered, and just like that the dance was done.

He was trapped and he knew it. He could run but he would never make it through the crowd. _Fuck._ Resigned Jericho approached the sword. How bad could it be? He took a breath and tried to pick up the sword, but it wouldn't budge. For a brief moment relief passed through him that he wasn't engulfed like the others. He tried to let go but couldn't open his hand. Fear didn't even have the chance to develop within him before a blinding golden lightning bolt encased him with a silver mist.

He cried out a horrible wail but no one moved closer to help. This is different than what everyone witnessed with the others. The lightning and mist seemed to be denser, and none of the others had cried out so ghastly. The quiet night was filled with the vibrations coming from the sword accompanied by a low pitch humming.

The closest vampires to Jericho stepped back and covered their ears as both the sounds and screams got even louder. Sookie closed her eyes but opened them right back when she saw the scene from the corridor at the palace play out before her again. She opened her eyes and just looked away, into the empty desert and the night sky.

It seemed to go on forever; but a few seconds after it began the mist dissipated and the lightning retracted and Jericho was blowing into the wind. No one spoke or moved. Eric stood and all eyes moved from where Jericho stood to Eric's imposing stature.

"I don't care if you like me. I don't care if you respect me as long as you _show_ me and mine respect. I don't even care if you hate me." He told his stunned crowd. "But if you plan to betray this kingdom, trying to harm me or my house then you too will be blowing in the wind."

Again no one spoke but their minds were racing. Many had heard stories of the battle. So much was going on everywhere that not everyone actually fought against Eric or Sookie-but they'd all heard stories.

After a brief pause Eric spoke again. "Isa, we believe that you will best serve in Carson City. You may accept the position of Sheriff."

Isa stepped forward and bowed deeply. "It is my honor to accept the position King Northman." Eric nodded and retook his chair and all the candidates melted back into the crowd. Eric's sword disappeared, though no one could remember anyone removing it.

In the next moment Sandy stood again. "The next case is a blood offense between Sheriff Dolan of Area Four and Sheriff Weisz of Area Five. Sheriffs step forward." Sandy retook her seat as two men stepped forward.

One was about average height with wavy honey blond hair cropped a few inches from the scalp. His eyes were milk chocolate with very refined facial features that contrasted with his bee stung lips. He reminded Sookie of that one teacher every girl had that was hired right out of college only to become the heart throb of the high school. He was lean, though his tailored clothes hinted at the hidden master piece below.

The other man stood over the first by a few inches. He seemed to be of Latin decent because though pale like all vampires, he wasn't quite as chalky. He was blessed with large hazel eyes deep set accented with a strong brow, prominent nose and high cheekbones. His lips would have contrasted with all the strong prominent features and were decidedly thin but it seemed to work; there was just enough contrast to keep him from being overwhelmed. His hair was dark though not quite black and hung in thick waves just past his shoulders. He was a bit more bulky than the other guy and dressed simply in black slacks and royal blue dress shirt with the top two buttons left opened.

"Sheriff Dolan, you've brought this case before us tonight. State your case." Eric said.

Mr. Hazel eyes, also known as Sheriff Dolan, stepped forward. "My human left my area to visit a relative in Sheriff Weisz's area. She was at a gas station filling her car for the drive back when she was accosted by Sheriff Weisz. He propositioned her. She refused. He didn't take the refusal well and things got heated. Apparently some male humans tried to intervene and a fight broke out. Weisz drew the blood of my human when she tried to escape the melee. She identified herself and still he put her in danger. I demand payment."

"Sheriff Weisz, care to argue your case?" Eric prompted.

Mr. Honey blond hair stepped forward. "It is true that I approached a woman at a gas station. She was alone and when I spoke to her she didn't identify herself as the human of a Sheriff. We spoke for a few minutes. I asked her out and she declined. I was charming her into changing her mind when we were approached by a group of humans. One of them accosted her and a fight broke out. Somewhere in that fight she was knocked to the side. Her head was about to hit the bumper of her car when she tried to get around the fight. I tried to catch her but one of the foolish humans tried to wrap a silver chain around my neck. I disposed of them and found her dragging herself into her car. I went to her but she sped off, so I memorized her license plate so I could find her again. We were out in the open and I had to take care of the scene at the gas station before it could get out. It wasn't until the next night when I tracked down the girl did I learn who she was but by then it was too late. Sheriff Dolan had already filed a grievance."

"Dolan are you in the habit of letting your mate go off unprotected?" Eric asked.

"No sir." Dolan replied. "She is safe in my territory and needs no guard. I have those that watch over her without interference in her life. When she got the call about her relative she left without calling for an escort. It just so happened to occur between a shift change. Both the guards coming on and going off duty have been disciplined."

"Where is your mate?" Sookie asked. There was something odd about this story. It all seemed too...perfect. His mate just happened to get a call about a relative and managed to slip out between the shift change of her guard. Then she just happened to come across another Sheriff. Not to say that it was impossible, it was just...amazing.

"Yes your majesty she is here."

"Good, I want to meet her." Sookie smiled.

A beautiful woman stepped forward. She had the complexion of someone with parents of a different race. Her light brown sugar colored hair was long and fell into perfect unruly spirals. She had big light brown eyes with green flecks going through them. Her makeup was flawless making her look natural and untouched. Her full lips looked like they were stained with pomegranates. She wore a strapless royal blue mini dress with a fan embellishment across the bust. It fit her like a second skin. She seemed to be glowing like there was an inner light that shone like a beacon. It was the kind of light that Sookie recognized. The woman stepped up next to Dolan, making sure to stay one step behind him, and she bowed more gracefully than Sookie ever managed.

"What's your name?" Sookie asked.

"Amber is my name ma'am." She answered softly.

"And tell me what happened to you Amber." Amber went on to tell the same exact story as Dolan. Sookie hadn't listened in on any of them as they told their stories, but again she was struck by the fact that something just didn't sit right.

Sookie stood and everyone froze. She stepped to the edge of the platform and was about to jump down when Jamal appeared in front of her, offering her his hand. With a smile she accepted his hand and she stepped down. Once she was solidly on the ground Jamal stepped back but didn't leave her. He shadowed her every step. Sookie walked over to Amber, ignoring Dolan who bowed again at her approach. A moment later, Amber bowed too.

"It's okay, y'all can stand." She told them. She walked around Amber before stopping back in front of her. They stood at about the same height with them both in heels. "You are very pretty." Sookie complimented.

"Thank you ma'am."

"What were your parents?" Sookie asked curiously.

"My father is African American and my mother is German."

Sookie nodded then smiled. Amber relaxed as it looked like Sookie was on her side. Sookie offered her hand to Amber, who took it after a moment to think about it. Sookie opened her mind and focused on Amber, Dolan, and Weisz. There it was. Amber had a secret. Sookie put that fact to the side for the moment and began chattering to Amber about how lovely her dress was and asking her where she got her shoes. Every so often she would slip in a question, _what relative did you get a call from?_ or _what happened to your relative?_ or _will they be okay? who is tending to them?_

Sookie walked Amber in a big circle. It didn't take long for her to get everything she needed. When they came back to where Dolan stood, Sookie smiled at Amber again and let go of her hand. She walked back to the side of the platform and walked up the stairs and back to her throne. Eric took her hand as soon as she was seated.

"I have a few questions for everyone." Sookie said. "Sheriff Dolan exactly what were your plans after we awarded you Sheriff Weisz's area to satisfy the blood offense?"

"Your-" Dolan floundered. "I, uh, there is no further plan my Queen. After the takeover I'm sure we could agree that no one wants more bloodshed."

"You want to manipulate and maneuver my Queen and I into increasing your territory." Eric said.

"No sir, that is not my intent." Dolan argued. "I just saw this as an acceptable alternative to more bloodshed."

"Does anyone know about you?" Sookie asked Amber.

"Excuse me?" Amber said a little scared and a little confused.

Sookie pushed a picture she'd picked out of Amber's mind back at her. It was a picture of Amber in the middle of a ritual. She gasped and looked at her wide eyed. Sookie stared directly at her and Amber knew that Sookie knew she was a witch. It was all there now. No one knew what Amber was. She was a powerful witch and was able to hide her magical signature. She used her magic to attract Weisz. She deliberately stepped into the middle of the fight when she was already pushed to safety by Weisz. Dolan didn't know what Amber was but wants to turn her because she's been so useful.

Rage rushed through Eric and Sookie had to throw up blocks between them. It was a grave thing to turn a witch. It was strictly forbidden among their kind. As the whole episode filtered in from all three points of views Eric had to take a deep breath so he didn't kill all three of them just for the hassle. This story may have flown with Felipe but he was not such a fool.

"Should we not have been made aware of that Dolan has been trying to take over bordering territories?" Eric asked dangerously. Dolan opened his mouth but Eric waved him off. "This kingdom is not a bargaining chip used for your petty interactions. Dolan I will not have you continue to cause issues within my kingdom in a time when I cannot afford to allow it. I don't have the time or the patience to deal with this kind of constant upheaval.

"Weisz, the charges against you are dismissed. Dolan you are hereby removed from the position of Sheriff. Ashton, you are the new Sheriff of Area 4. Sandy will give you all the support you will require to expedite this change. Dolan, you are banned from my territories; you have three nights starting tomorrow to be gone."

"Your majesty, please." Dolan tried but Eric silenced him with a look.

"Amber will remain in my territory. She is forbidden to leave for any reason. She must make arrangements with her Sheriff before traveling to any of my other territories. Whenever she moves or if she moves the Sheriff where she is going must be notified as well as myself. Congratulations Amber, welcome to the vampire world."

"But King Northman she is mine." Dolan protested.

"And now she is mine." Eric said simply. "I say now in front of everyone here tonight, spread the word that Amber is not to be turned for any reason. Whoever turns her will be tortured for a century and then killed. If a human kills her be it by accident or on purpose they will be turned, tortured for a hundred years and then killed. If Amber happens upon an unlucky accident no matter how normal or unfortunate the Sheriff who's territory she is in will be tortured for two centuries and then killed. Does everyone understand?"

Everyone bowed low in assent in the King's decree.

"I'm sorry I don't understand." Amber spoke up. "What does it mean?"

"It means that you are now a permanent resident of our kingdom." Sookie told her." You can move anywhere you want to within the states of Nevada, Louisiana, or Arkansas. These are the only states that you can live in or visit unless my husband or I agree to let you go further. It means that you are under the personal protection of my King and I. If anyone harms you in any way they will be severely torture for a century and then killed. Live where you choose, work as you choose as long as they are in these parameters."

"And I have no choice in this?" Amber asked on the verge of tears.

"I could kill you now and save myself and my wife all of this aggravation." Eric told her plainly. "You must live with the consequences of your actions. You were not ignorant in Dolan's plans but an active participant and planner. Do you or do you not accept this ruling?"

A tear fell from Amber's eye. "I accept." She finally said.

"Then let it be known that Amber is under our personal protection. Any harm done to her is harm done to us. Everyone is dismissed."

Sandy stood and called the next case. "The last case up for tonight is a case of treason. Davis Archer, Ron Bellman, and Brandon Wittiker are charged with attacking the Queen while she was coordinating the retrieval of those that were stuck in the rubble of the old mansion. Bring the prisoners forward."

The back of the delivery truck opened and there was motion in the crowd. Three men in silver shackles were brought forward. When they were all in the middle of the circle, the shackles were carefully removed. They looked so ordinary to Sookie.

"Those that are to give witness please step forward." Sandy commanded and a group of about fifteen stepped forward.

"That won't be necessary Sandy." Eric spoke up. "Direct treason will not be tried." He stood up and walked over to the edge of the platform but he didn't jump off. "These three will go down in history in my reign. They will be the first and only vampires to survive until a trial for the charge of treason. Let it be known that treason is a killing offense. This is not news to anyone. My vengeance will be swift and unmerciful."

The witnesses to that night were ready to speak but it didn't matter that they didn't. Word had already spread quickly on the events of that night. The fact that the Queen had ripped off Davis's arm and actually beat him with it was amazing. It made a lot of skeptics feel as though she did have the correct temperament for running a vampire kingdom. Many didn't know what to think when they heard that she took care of the man that attacked her. Maybe it was a human thing? Then again with everything that has been said about Queen Sookie it seemed to match her character. The other injured patients in the room that night told everyone who would listen about how she gave him instruction on how to speak to the King when this time came. Many knew that they would never get the chance to use her advice. Hell it took everyone by surprise that they were even alive still.

Without another word Eric ripped open the bond and his enclosure exploded from within. He pulled his golden enclosure close to his body like a second skin. He stood there for a moment, enjoying everyone's attention on him, before he set his sights on the three traitors. He would like nothing more than to pump them full of currents until they disintegrated but the revulsion coming off of Sookie put a halt to that idea. He reached toward her to find nothing. He looked over his shoulder to see her staring off into the barren desert. He curbed his instinct to torture for her sake.

Three bolts shot out from Eric's body. As soon as the left him he began pulling his power and energy back within himself until only his eyes still glowed bright gold. Each bolt found its mark, square in the chests of Davis Archer, Ron Bellman, and Brandon Wittiker. They were knocked completely off of their feet but before their bodies could land on the ground they were nothing but dust in the air. He took immense satisfaction in the stunned faces of those around. No one knew what to be more stunned at. One thing was for sure, no one moved. When Eric turned to retake his seat everyone's eyes shifted from where the traitors disappeared to look fearfully at Eric.

Sookie didn't want to watch the deaths of the men who attacked Briel. She knew that there was nothing she could do to change their fate but at the same time she was tired of all the death. Sookie shut down all of her senses. She turned her head to the side and looked to the stars. She didn't realize that she was tapping into her bond in order to block out the sight and sounds of death until her vision tinted silver. She would guess that her hair was streaking silver also.

Sookie threw up every block she had against Eric. She didn't want to feel his satisfaction as he carried out the sentences. Someone tapped her shoulder and she looked up to find Jamal standing there, offering her sunglasses to cover her eyes. She offered him a smile as she took the glasses and put them on.

"The sentence for treason has been carried out." Eric said to the still silent audience. "This court is now adjourned." He retook his chair and placed a hand on Sookie's shoulder. She was wearing her sunglasses again but he could see the bright silver of her eyes gleaming just the same. She smiled at him but it wasn't a happy smile in the least. He noticed that she didn't take down the blocks in her mind and their bond either.

"Are we done here?" Sookie asked him. Someone started music and the tense atmosphere seemed to melt away as the audience began to dance and mingle with one another.

"Yes we are done." Eric confirmed. "We need to leave now though. I still have a surprise for you. I hope it will lift your spirits Dear One."

A more natural smile graced Sookie's lips now. "Well in case I forget to tell you later, thank you."

"Anything for you Lover." Eric said, getting to his feet.

"Wait." She said as she stood. "I want to see Ashton."

Eric studied her for a moment before he motioned to Sandy, who responded promptly. "Bring Ashton here."

"Right away." She replied and in the next moment Ashton stood next to her.

"How may I be of service to you your majesties?" He asked as he bowed deeply to Eric and Sookie.

"What happened to your face?" Sookie asked.

"I was injured in the takeover by a cursed blade." Ashton told her. "The blade was dipped in silver nitrate. I had it cleaned as best as I could but even then the skin wouldn't heal. The best we could figure is that the blade itself was cursed so I had my face stitched."

Sookie thought about this for a moment. Seeing the wound up close made it seem even worse. If his vampire body hasn't been able to heal itself by now then it would probably never happen. He would be stuck for eternity with that ugly jagged scare. "Does anyone have a pocket knife?"

Anthony stepped forward offering Sookie his pocket knife that once belonged to his Great-grandfather and had been passed down through the generations. "Will this do Queen?" He always took care of his knife and made sure the blade stayed sharp.

"Yes, that's perfect." Sookie said. "Will you cut the stitches away from his face?"

"Of course." Anthony agreed before turning to Ashton. "Will you be able to contain yourself or do you need to be held?"

"I can contain myself." His warm voice had gone emotionless. He knew he didn't really have a choice. He steeled himself because he knew that this was going to hurt like a bitch.

Anthony nodded before cutting the crude stitches and pulling the threads out. He was impressed with Ashton because he kept silent through the whole procedure. When he finished the flaps of skin on his face gaped opened. Anthony stepped back and Sookie stepped forward. She looked at the ghastly wound for a few moments before she touched her pointer finger to her silver eye. Silver tears immediately welled into her eye and she coated her finger in the fluid.

She gingerly grabbed one flap of Ashton's skin and gently moved it back. She the wiped her tear covered finger on his skin. Her eye was tearing up still and it spilled down her cheek. She captured her tears with her finger and continued rubbing it all over Ashton's wounds until the meat under the skin was coated in silver. When that was done she pressed his skin back into place and it healed perfectly a moment after contact. There was still a thin line that puckered where the skin had come together. Sookie swept away the last of her tears and rubbed it over the puckered line and that too was healed. His face was perfect again.

"Does anyone have a tissue?" Sookie asked. Noah handed her a white linen handkerchief. "Thanks." She wiped her own cheek clean before wiping the excess tears off of Ashton's face. "Great now you're perfect again."

Ashton looked at her skeptically and then touched his face. His eyes widened in disbelief when he found nothing but the smooth perfection of his skin. He dropped to his knee. "Thank you my Queen. What can I do to ever repay such a gift?"

"No one should have to live their life, or afterlife, with that kind of never healing scar." Sookie told him. "Be the best Sheriff you can. That's how you can repay me."

"I am in your debt my Queen." Ashton insisted.

Sookie was about to argue when Eric touched her arm and shook his head. He knew that Ashton would take his debt seriously. It couldn't be tossed away easily. Ashton had bound himself in service to Sookie personally until his debt was repaid and there was nothing that he or even Sookie could say to change it.

"It is done." Eric said and Ashton got to his feet. "We must go now." Ashton bowed again before melting back into the party.

Sandy hung up her cell phone and walked up to them. "Everything is prepared your highness. We didn't even have to delay. If you leave now you should make it on time."

"Thanks Sandy." Eric replied. He led Sookie back to their limo.

"So what's the surprise?" Sookie asked casually.

"I'm not telling you that." Eric scoffed.

"Hey I've been really good about not bugging you." She countered. "I think I at least deserve a clue."

"Fine." He conceded. "It's not jewelry. It's not clothing. It's not anything materialistic."

"I kind of figured that out already." Sookie said. "Oh are you taking me to the roller coaster that Briel and Gabe went on? That was really cool I want to go there."

"You do?" Eric asked. Sookie nodded. "Then I will have to arrange it for us."

Sookie thought for a minute. "Maybe on our next trip out here we can do it."

"I'm sure that we can make time for it, perhaps tomorrow night." Eric mused.

"Eric, I know that we probably should stay here a bit longer." Sookie began. "But I can't stand it anymore. I want to go home." Eric looked at her a bit taken aback. "If you need to stay here longer then fine but I don't want to. I want to go back home. I miss my bed. I miss my friends. I miss my life. All that I have seen out here is death and destruction and violence. I don't know anyone here. I just want to get back where there are familiar faces and familiar places."

She let all her shields come completely down and he felt her need to get away. She was hanging on and being a trooper but tonight's execution was the straw that seemed to break the camel's back. It wasn't just tonight though. It was her fight with Michael; the new people constantly being introduced and sometimes forced on her; the absence of anything familiar. She didn't _want_ to go home. She _needed_ to go home.

"Okay Sookie. I will call Sandy and get us on the first plane out of here in the morning. I've finished most of my business. Everything else can be done by conference and if need be I can send Sandy or Pam to come back."

Sookie flung herself at Eric. "Thank you Eric." She thought that he would suggest that she leave without him. She would have but she would have really hated to do so. She didn't like being apart from him. She wondered if he hated her for making him leave or if he thought her to be a baby.

"Of course not Sookie, you are my top priority, now and always." She kissed him passionately and when she finally had to relinquish their kiss so she could breathe Eric looked around and saw how close they were coming to their destination. "Close your mind Sookie." He said suddenly.

"Why?" She asked curiously.

Eric rolled his eyes. "Because when I set up a surprise, I actually want it to be a surprise."

It was Sookie's turn to roll her eyes. "Fine." She huffed. She closed her mind most of the way but not all. Her 'hearing' was limited to their limo. She smiled sweetly at Eric, who was looking at her sternly.

"I can still feel that you know." Eric told her. With a real huff, Sookie closed off her mind completely. He noticed that it wasn't just her mind that closed though. She must have been calmer now because the silver streaks had disappeared from her hair and her eyes no longer glowed either. She had locked her energy back into their bond. "Thank you. Now put this on." He handed her a black blindfold.

"Aren't you taking this too far?" Sookie asked as she examined the soft satin of the blindfold.

"Indulge me." Eric pouted.

"Okay fine." Sookie mumbled. "Put that lip away."

"Thank you Lover."

"This had better be one hell of a surprise." She warned as she pulled the mask on, only to be met with Eric's laughter.

When the limo stopped Eric opened the door and helped Sookie out. When she was steady he led her into the hotel. They were met by the hotel's manager and he escorted their party to special seats. When they were all seated Eric leaned over to Sookie and nuzzled her neck.

"Are you ready to see where we are?" He asked her with barely contained excitement.

"Yes, I'm dying to find out."

"Really? Hmm, then what would you give for me to show you?" He asked.

"Eric!" She chastised.

"What?" He asked, trying and failing to sound innocent."

"As entertaining as this is, it's about to start." Pam said, slightly irritated. She had road with Sandy over so that they could coordinate their immediate return to Shreveport.

"So lovely to have you back Pam." Eric replied sarcastically.

A hush fell over the room and it felt as if the temperature dropped also. "What's happening?" Sookie asked in a low voice. "Why did everyone stop talking all of a sudden?"

Eric pulled off her blindfold so that she could see that they were delved into a room of darkness. The only light came from twinkling tea lights sporadically placed around the room. "It's time for a magical evening Sookie." Eric said.

Sookie looked around to find large Chris Angel posters on the walls. She never would have seen them without her heightened senses. "You brought me to a magic show?" She asked him. Part of her was excited because she had always loved magic and the other part of her was incredulous that Eric would ever choose this as a surprise for her. It was very unexpected.

"Give me some credit." Eric whispered. "This is not just _any_ magic act." She looked at him questioningly but he just shook his head. "You will see."

She turned back to the front right as massive explosions went off. She wanted to ask him what he meant but there was no time. The show began and it took her in a whole other direction. Sookie was captivated completely and utterly. Since she had entered the supe world, she'd learned quite a bit. She'd met all type of magical creature and they came in all shapes and sizes. She had placed them in three categories: Witch magic, Fae magic, and what the hell magic. Chris Angel fell into the third category. He was far beyond anything she had ever experienced.

Chris Angel was a demon. Sookie opened her mind and found that his mind had the same feel as Diantha or Mr. Cataliades. He seemed to feel her as she opened her mind because she could have sworn that he looked directly at her and winked. She was about to ask Eric but one look at his sneering face let her know that she wasn't imagining anything.

Eric was caught up between watching and enjoying the show and watching Sookie enjoy the show. Chris Angel was a treat indeed because not many demons had the right temperament to do what he did. Many demons prefer business or law but a small portion liked showing off what they were under the guise of a magic show. An even smaller number were willing to do so with other supes around. Demons believed fiercely in keeping with their own though you did have the rare outlier like Mr. Cataliades and his nieces. So watching this show was just as much of a treat for Eric as it was for Sookie.

Noah opened the door to the suite for Eric, who was carrying Sookie's unconscious form. The night had been a success. They had dinner and watched the magic show and then spent time gambling at a few of the casinos. Sookie was so ecstatic at the end of the magic show. She kept asking Eric question after question after question about how the tricks were done even though he told her that demons guard their secrets jealously. He took her back stage where she got to meet Chris Angel himself. He happily signed an autograph for her and took pictures with them both. She charmed him so thoroughly Eric suspected he would have to keep an eye out for the demon in case he tried to woo his wife.

Knowing that this would be their last night in Las Vegas Eric wanted to teach her how to gamble, so they went to three different casinos trying out the different games. They even happened upon a club or two in a few of the hotels and they danced the night away. True to his word, he took her to ride the same roller coasters as Briel and Gabe got to try out. He found it exhilarating and Sookie screamed the whole time. Despite the rocky start their night got off to with the trials, it ended up being a very good night.

He nodded to the guard as he took Sookie into their room and laid her on their bed. He stripped himself first and then Sookie and gathered her warm body to his. So many emotions she brought out in him. Sometimes it was scary because he couldn't readily identify his feelings, but it always turned out for the better. He had survived for a thousand years. Now that he had Sookie, he knew it was his time to actually...live. So, with a smile, he pulled the covers over their bodies and for the first time in the last ten centuries, he pretended to be human and sleep. For the first time his down time actually felt like rest.

TBC

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I have been working on a few big pieces for everyone. These next chapters will be very important. I apologize for it taking me so long to post but there important parts that need to be mapped out. I would rather take my time so that there are no mistakes. I think that you all deserve my best and that is what I am determined to give to you.

I love hearing feedback so please review review review. The sooner we break 800 the sooner the next chapter could be posted.... No pressure, lol. Thank you.


	38. Chapter 38

A/N: Hey everyone, this chapter turned out longer than anticipated. I hope it came out well. As always I would love to hear feedback. Enjoy.

It had been six months since their return to Louisiana and so much had changed for Sookie. Eric was in the process of rebuilding their home that they'd destroyed together. He bought up the homes all around it also. The entire area was being upgraded into its own not-so-little compound. It was listed as a gated community but the only people accepted were those in the employ of Eric. The majority of the guards, both Were and vampire alike, relocated to the compound along with the almost all of the servants. The home that Eric was rebuilding for him and Sookie became a combination of Sookie's dream home, which was a plantation style, and the home they had destroyed. She was willing to concede more about layout in favor of how things would be designed. Eric hired Alcide's construction company to work in conjunction with his own construction companies to update the new private neighborhood.

In the mean time they stayed at another of Eric's private homes for a month while they had Sookie's Bon Temps home upgraded. They basically stripped the home down to the frame and reinforced the entire home. The attic was sealed off completely and converted into a safe room. All the windows were retrofitted in the newest innovation in opaque glass. Two checkout points were added to blend into the forest that surrounded the property. Sookie wasn't sure about it until she toured them and found that they were basically small homes. Eric also bought all the surrounding land. The home was worked on around the clock by four different crews and they were able to move into the Stackhouse home in just over a month. It's become their temporary home until their compound in Shreveport can be finished.

Things had gotten both harder and easier for her. She seemed to be finding her stride as Queen. Her personal life had settled, though it was in no way smooth, and she was dealing. Sookie had avoided Bill's home at all costs. It wasn't that she was scared...okay it wasn't _only_ her fear that held her at bay. She ran over the scenario in her head a thousand times. It didn't matter how she ran it down. It always ended with the final end to something she thought of as the end of a lifetime; a life time where Gran was alive and safe. She didn't know what to say or do so she just did nothing.

It still wore on her what happened between her and Michael. She knew that Eric still hated her because of that fight even though he doesn't say anything about it. Michael had not come into contact with them at all since Las Vegas. It wasn't only Michael that was MIA though, but none of the Angels had made an appearance to either Eric or Sookie since Las Vegas. Eric said it was because of them doing ground work with trying to find Lilith but Sookie couldn't help but think that it was because of her. She never told her fears to Eric because she was afraid that if she spoke her fears out loud, it would somehow make it more real or true and she couldn't handle that.

Just because they were back didn't mean that time ceased for any of them. Sookie and Evelyn were ass deep and neck high in the planning of the coronation. Sookie was getting a crash course lesson in vampire affairs. She was thinking on taking economic classes and a political science class to help her be an effective ruler next to Eric. She thought that she could focus on that but within a week of her return with Eric, Calvin called her for the meeting about Jason. It was in the day time, which meant that Eric wouldn't be able to attend. When Sookie lamented that fact later, Eric told her that it was done on purpose. He speculated that it was most likely Calvin's way to keep Eric from imposing his will over the proceedings. That pissed her off because she thought he was right, but it changed nothing. She had to go. She wanted to give Calvin a piece of her mind but Eric floored her when he said he would probably do the same thing. If it were him that had to deal with someone connected to the Were's only he would probably pick a time close to the full moon so that that person would have to appear without the protection of their Were friends.

"Supes are so ruthless sometimes." She said.

"Very true but we are also effective more times then not." He replied.

_**FLASHBACK**_

_"It's time for us to leave ma'am." Evelyn said as she stood next to the table where Sookie was finishing her dinner._

_"Thank you Evelyn." Sookie replied automatically. She gathered her dishes and washed them off and placed them in the drying rack. "You can go for tonight. I suppose we could begin again tomorrow." _

_They had been brainstorming how exactly they were going to attack all Sookie wanted to accomplish in her reign. Evelyn finally created lists for them to work from and the first list was of what Sookie wanted to do. They moved from the first list to putting Sookie's ideas in order of importance. Once they had that done Evelyn made a list for herself on what she needed to do in order to help Sookie lay the ground work. Through it all, Evelyn always got the impression that Sookie only tolerated her. She was always kind and professional but very distant. Evelyn didn't mind because Sookie was still the best job she's ever had and she was determined to show her capability with the job given to her._

_"Actually I was planning on going with you." She said. "If it's okay with you Mistress."_

_Sookie had been pretty subdued since leaving Las Vegas. Don't get her wrong, she loved being back home but it was just a different kind of stress awaiting her here. Normally she would have put forth a better effort in getting to know Evelyn, especially after agreeing to give her a chance but Sookie just couldn't find it within herself to do so. It wasn't that there was something wrong with Evelyn because there wasn't. It was the fact that she felt drawn out and wrung up and she knew that she still had to deal with Jason and Bill and Michael. She didn't have it in her at the moment to add another person to her plate so she kept it strictly professional. Was it crazy for her to want a vacation after just getting back from Las Vegas?_

_"Mistress?" Evelyn asked again, pulling Sookie from her thoughts._

_"No Evelyn." Sookie said. "One of us should get a goodnight's sleep."_

_"I won't get a goodnight's sleep whether I leave now or go with you ma'am." Evelyn said plainly. "Your attendance has been made mandatory, which means that mine is too; besides no one should have to go to something like this by themselves."_

_"I won't be alone. I will have Jamal, Anthony, Noah and the other guards with me."_

_"But the King won't be there and you have no friends or family to go with you either. And, if I may be frank, if my Grandmother knew that I let someone attend a stressful event without anyone for support she would string me up alive. I know that I am not a friend or a family member but I am someone that will have no other job there than to support you in whatever you need. If that means that I just stand there with my mouth shut then so be it."_

_That got Sookie's attention and a reluctant laugh escaped her lips. She dipped into Evelyn's mind to see a fierce white haired black woman handing a young Evelyn her ass in a basket with a bow. "Family is the most important thing young lady and if someone in your world doesn't have family then a good friend will step in without asking. They don't need your pity, they just need support."_

_"You're not my friend. You're my Mistress, my boss. You don't need my pity, which I don't have for you, but my Grandmother always said that a person could never have too much support."_

_Sookie nodded. She backed out of Evelyn's head. "This could be dangerous. Even after what he did, I don't think that I could allow someone to kill my brother if it came to that."_

_"I understand that." Evelyn replied. She pulled her jacket open so Sookie could see the gun holster she put on. "It's loaded with silver shots. I have a backup piece on my ankle also." Sookie looked at her questioningly. "My father taught me how to shoot when I was eight. I've maintained my license throughout my adult life."_

_"Fine you can come, but don't say I didn't try to stop you."_

_"Thank you your majesty." Evelyn said. "I will meet you out front."_

_"Okay." Sookie replied. In that moment she determined to be better to Evelyn. Evelyn was good people and she deserved better. Sookie grabbed her purse and headed out the door where Jamal and the rest were already outside preparing to leave but Susan's sweet voice stopped her. _

_"Will I need to have medical supplies ready for your return?" She asked. _

_Sookie was about to say no but after a moment of thought she changed her mind. "Actually that would be a great idea, thank you."_

_"No problem ma'am." Susan smiled back at her. "Will you need anything other from me tonight?"_

_"No thank you."_

_"Then I will setup some medical supplies for you and then I will take my leave."_

_"That's fine. Thank you Susan."_

_Susan nodded. Sookie was at the front door when Susan suddenly spoke again. "Queen Sookie?" Sookie turned back to Susan. "There is no right or wrong when it comes to family. You do what you need to do and don't feel guilty about it." Susan smiled and turned back to the kitchen before Sookie could form an answer. Sookie smiled towards the kitchen and took Susan's words to heart as she walked out the house. _

_Her Navigator was parked between two other massive SUV's facing outward on the drive way. They had created a small parking lot in the back where she used to park all the time but a long line of cars were parked on the far side of the driveway where the servants and security parked. Eric didn't like it but Sookie told him to live with it since it was just temporary. Most of their personnel parked at Bill's home and just walked through the cemetery. Of course Eric had plans drawn up for a two story parking garage to be built on the road a little bit from Hummingbird Lane, where Debbie Pelt had once hid her car. Eric had meticulous plans drawn up so that it wouldn't look like a parking garage but a large house. The garage would be still be open so that the noxious gases could still escape but from the outside it would look like it wasn't. It was very innovative and he spared no expense. It made Sookie smile to see how proud Eric was of his parking garage. _

_Sookie walked off the porch to her mini motorcade shaking her head. She should have known better to just think that it would just be her and her guards. Just because it was daytime and Eric was not able to come he still went overboard (in her opinion) on the security. Her usual team of Jamal, Anthony, and Noah would be supplemented by another group of six guards. There would also be a third group of six guards that would be charged with maintaining a perimeter. Sookie didn't really argue with it. She knew Eric was pissed that Calvin wouldn't change the time of the meeting (she refused to call it a trial) and she knew that this was his way of trying to compensate for the fact that he wouldn't be there. She didn't like it, but she didn't argue. What she should have done was ask more questions because when she argued Eric down to only two teams, she supposed that she should have asked how many men were in each team. At least she got him down from six teams to supplement her personal guard...._

_So now they were all packed into her Navigator (and other respective SUV's) and heading down the highway toward Bon Temps. Jamal drove while Anthony sat shotgun. Noah sat in the back row giving Sookie and Evelyn the middle row. Sookie was too nervous to talk. Would she really stop them from killing Jason if that was their decree? Yes. She had just finished fighting a war, would she start another with her friends over her brother? Yes. As soon as she spoke the words to Evelyn, Sookie knew without a doubt that she would preserve Jason's life at any risk. Did she forgive him for leaving them high and dry in the middle of a war? No. In fact she doubted she would ever speak to him again. Some things were just unforgivable but that didn't mean that she wanted him dead. Like it or not he's the only family that she had left. Jason was literally it for Sookie. _

_"He's all I have left." Sookie told the car. They were through Bon Temps and taking the back streets to Hot Shot. _

_"If it's your wish, then we will preserve his life Queen." Jamal said._

_"It's wrong." She replied. "He abandoned me."_

_"Nothing about family is black and white." Noah offered._

_"If it's your wish we will preserve his life." Jamal said again. _

_"It's wrong." She replied again. "He abandoned me but I won't allow him to die."_

_"Are these people your friends?" Anthony asked._

_"Not really." Sookie admitted after thinking for a moment. "I would consider the leader, Calvin, my friend but I haven't really spent time with any of the others. I tried to be friendly to those few who ventured out of Hot Shot but mostly they stay there and I lived a separate life in Bon Temps. Besides Calvin, Jason is the thing that connects me to the Hot Shot clan. Calvin wanted to choose me as his mate so that new blood could be brought in but it wasn't something that I could be apart of. I couldn't breed my children. Calvin is a good man but not the man for me."_

_"Are we to interfere if they want to hurt or maim him but not kill him?" Noah asked. Sookie stilled. Could she watch her brother be hurt? She didn't think she could. It wasn't the worse thing that could happen to him. Shit, she didn't know what to do. The car slowed down and stopped in front of Calvin's home. Sookie didn't speak or make a move to answer. "Queen?" Noah asked again._

_Jamal turned around in his seat to look at Sookie. "This is something we need to know Queen Northman." He hoped using her formal title and name would spark a response. _

_Sookie jumped at her name and looked from Noah to Jamal. "I don't know." She told them honestly before opening the door and stepping out. Her insides churned as she was immediately surrounded by her extended guards. Jamal, Anthony, and Noah joined the group. Evelyn quietly took her normal place behind Sookie to her left-hand side. Jamal gave instructions to the extended guard but Sookie didn't hear it. She kept going around in circles in her head. She didn't know what she was supposed to do. What was the right thing? She didn't know. To be honest she didn't know what she was going to do about anything until she was there._

_Calvin walked out of his house but stopped a few feet from them. "Thank you for coming Queen Northman." He said properly. "Hopefully one day we will be able to see one another in good circumstances."_

_Sookie offered him a half hearted smile. "Now Calvin you know that we go back past Queen Northman. My status may have changed but I haven't and Sookie is just fine by me. As for seeing each other in better circumstances;" She shrugged and shook her head slightly. "Well, the sun has got to shine sometime."_

_"Very true." He agreed before getting down to business. "This is a pack trial. You are here because we were in service to you at the time of the incident and because we have a treaty with you and your kingdom. Everyone has been assembled in the backyard. We may as well get this over with."_

_They followed him into the backyard where all of Hot Shot seemed to be. As soon as Sookie and her guards stepped out of the house all the talking ceased. There was a space of about twelve feet that everyone seemed to avoid and that's where Calvin gestured for them to go to. Everyone watched as they moved in as a single unit. The few people who Sookie did know acknowledged her with a smile or a small wave or a nod and she returned each. She looked all around but she didn't see Jason. _

_Sookie opened her mind to find that it was Jason's arrival that they were all waiting on. Calvin had sent three panthers to stay close to Jason until time for his trial. They had already called to say that they were on their way. A few minutes later they arrived. Jason looked horrible. His eyes were bruised and puffy as if he hadn't slept in forever. His skin was pale and yellow and he looked as if he had lost weight. His eyes were lifeless. Sookie focused her mind on him to find her brother full of sorrow and regret. He hadn't been able to sleep since he left the battle in Las Vegas. He was confused and ashamed. He was resigned to the fact that he was going to die tonight. He had even taken the time to write down what he wanted to happen with his stuff. Sookie didn't know who this person was that stared into her eyes. This wasn't Jason. This was not the man that she knew. Her eyes filled with tears because this stranger came here, not only prepared for death but wanting and welcoming it. _

_Sookie was the first to break eye contact. Jamal pressed a handkerchief into her hand. Noah, Anthony, and Jamal stepped closer to Sookie. They couldn't touch her but they offered her as much comfort as they could. _

_"We are here to decide the matter of desertion by our pack brother Jason Stackhouse." Calvin said to the entire crowd. He stood opposite Sookie in the backyard. "We pledged our help and loyalty to his sister and our ally Sookie Stackhouse-Northman, Queen of the vampires, and Jason deserted his team in the middle of the battle. We tracked him down at the Texas-Louisiana border on his way home."_

_A ripple of murmurs erupted from the crowd. A few people cursed Jason, while others hissed at him. It went on for a few moments before Calvin raised his hand again. "The sentence for this betrayal of a brother is death." Again a ripple of more murmurs erupted from the crowd until Calvin spoke again. "Because the offense occurred when we pledged our help to our ally it is customary for us to offer his life to our ally in order to repair the trust between us." There were no murmurs this time but everyone turned to look at Sookie._

_"You want me to kill my own brother?" Sookie asked. Her voice was strangled as she struggled to make words. _

_"You do not have to kill him yourself." Calvin said. "You can choose an executioner if you would rather but his life is forfeit to you in order to rectify the shame brought between us."_

_"And if I say that everything between us is forgiven already?"_

_"Then his life will be forfeit to us because it was not only you he abandoned but his panther brothers and sisters. In that case he will be taken down by the pack as a whole."_

_"So I kill him or you will?" Sookie asked. "What kind of choice is that? He's my brother!"_

_"He may be your brother but he is a part of my pack and he has brought shame to us all." Calvin said softly though his voice still easily carried. She could tell he didn't like what he was saying but his sense of duty forced him to say it anyway. "It may not be the choice you want but it is the choice you have."_

_It was hopeless. She couldn't bring herself to kill Jason and she couldn't order someone else to do it. If she didn't do it then Calvin's entire pack would descend on Jason and rip him to pieces. What the hell was she supposed to do? She tried to catch Jason's eye but he was looking intently at the ground having already decided his fate. It was an impossible choice that came down to how much suffering she would allow Jason. She could call her sai or sword and he would feel nothing. That had to be better than being ripped apart right? Someone grabbed her wrist and Sookie looked down to find Evelyn's hand there. She looked at Evelyn but Evelyn was looking intently at Calvin so she opened her mind to find Evelyn thinking loudly to her. _

'Mistress! Mistress! Mistress!'_Evelyn was mentally shouted over and over. Sookie took her hand in hers and squeezed it so that Evelyn knew she was listening. Evelyn began thinking rapidly in her head over and over and over again, hoping that Sookie caught everything. She didn't know if it would work but it was worth a shot. She kept thinking her thought over and over until Sookie squeezed her hand again. _

_This was the point that Sookie privately inducted Evelyn into her family. No matter how long Evelyn stayed in her service, Sookie would do anything for her. She had great thoughts and Sookie came up with a great plan. _

_"Queen Northman, we need your answer." Calvin said finally when he saw his panthers getting restless. He didn't want to rush Sookie. He knew that he was giving her an impossible choice. He hoped that she would leave Jason's fate to the pack because that would probably be the easiest thing on her but it scared him because Sookie never did the easy thing. A small part in the very back of his mind was thinking of scenarios if Jason's death caused war between them. He knew that his clan stood no chance against her. Not only did Sookie have three states worth of vampires at her command she was tied to several communities of Were's too. If the vampires and other Were's were nothing to worry about Calvin knew that Sookie could take them all out on her own. He knew Sookie wouldn't want to bring war to her friends and that she would most likely take them on her own. She still hadn't answered his prompt. She just clung to her friend and so he prompted her again. "Sookie please."_

_"My brother's life is worth me thinking this choice through Calvin." Sookie answered. She looked at Jason again but he was still resigned. She looked around the crowd and saw most of the Hot Shot panthers stared at Jason with hungry anticipation. If she had anything that waivered inside her about what she was about to do, the looks on the Hot Shot panther's faces quieted all reservation. "I accept Jason's forfeited life." She said._

_Every eye that wasn't already on her was pulled to her then. Calvin closed his eyes because he knew that she was going to say that before she even spoke the words. "Please don't do this yourself Sookie." He implored her. "Choose someone else to carry out the sentence."_

_"I can't ask someone else to do something that I'm not willing to do Calvin." She replied. "You know that about me."_

_"I do." He nodded._

_"Will you let me out of this?"_

_"I wish I could Sookie, you don't know how much I much I do." He said. "But I am bound."_

_"And so am I." Calvin closed his eyes again and bowed his head slightly. He knew that he was about to see his friend destroy herself. Sookie wasn't the type of person to bounce back from something like this. He looked up again when he heard her voice again. "Anthony, will you please bring me my brother?"_

_Anthony bowed his head and stepped forward. Jason met him half way and both men walked back over to a teary Sookie. It was all Anthony could do not to kill Jason himself, just to spare his mistress the agony of doing it. He would be punished, possibly killed, but he knew that his queen would never be the same again. The guard parted for them and Jason stopped in front of Sookie. A whole minute passed and neither sibling moved a muscle. Jason still had his eyes cast down. Sookie broke first and brought her hand up to touch Jason's cheek. He tilted his head away from her but she kept bringing her hand closer and closer until he would have to take a step away from Sookie to keep her from touching him. _

_"Jason." She whispered. He didn't respond to her. "Jason look at me."_

_He finally looked at his sister. "I'm not mad Sookie." He told her. "I deserve this. I left you to die and this is the price. Promise me you won't feel guilty."_

_"I won't lie to you Jason."_

_"Then tell the truth Sookie. You are not killing me. I killed myself when I left the battlefield. I'm already dead."_

_"I love you Jason." Sookie said. _

_"I love you too Sook." He replied. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "I wish I was a better brother to you."_

_"You were the best brother Jason." She pulled him into a hug and he clung to her for all he was worth before he took a deep breath and pulled back. _

_"I'm proud of you Sookie. I always have been, please remember that."_

_Sookie nodded. She took a deep breath of her own and wiped her eyes. She looked around to find that several people were looking at them teary. It was good to know that some panthers had feelings and not just hungry for death. She took another breath and brought her eyes to Jamal. "Have four men escort Jason to one of the security cars."_

_Several people cried out their objection but Jamal pointed out four men and they surrounded Jason. Jason struggled trying to figure out what his sister was doing but two of the guards grabbed each of his arms and pulled him along. Several panthers stepped in the guard's path. The guards halted but each produced swords; they closed tightly around Jason and prepared to strike. The panthers began to change._

_"Stop!" Calvin and Sookie yelled out together and all movement was stopped._

_"You cannot take him Sookie, his sentence is death." Calvin said._

_"And I have accepted Jason's life to satisfy the trust broken between us." Sookie replied. "Jason's life is mine to take and I choose to not take it right now."_

_"Clever Sookie but it has to be now."_

_"That was not a part of our agreement. You never gave me a time line in which I have to take Jason's life. You offered is life to me and I accepted. Jason is mine."_

_"Fine I am saying now that his death sentence must be carried out immediately."_

_"Sorry Calvin but that was not a part of our agreement. You made me an offer. I accepted that offer. You cannot change it now that you are unhappy."_

_"You cannot do this Sookie." Calvin said. "If you are unwilling to take Jason's life now and you are unwilling to appoint someone else to take his life then his sentence is to be executed by the pack."_

_"No Calvin. You offered me Jason's life. I accepted Jason's life. Jason's life belongs to me and if you now go back on your word or any in your clan extinguishes his life then you trample on my right and there will be enmity between us." She never knew when one of her words of the day would fly out of her mouth but she was very satisfied with the weight it gave her statement._

_No one spoke or moved as the gravity of what Sookie said filtered into their minds. If they killed the traitor then it would mean war with the entire vampire population...and there were _a lot_ of vampires._

_"Then you put me in a difficult situation Queen Northman." Calvin said slipping back into formality as Sookie caught him completely off guard. She was right. They had made a formal verbal agreement. He offered Sookie Jason's life but he didn't say what she had to do with it even though that was implied. She was within her rights to satisfy their agreement whenever she wanted to even if it meant never. "You see I offered Jason's life to you to restore honor to our clan and to solidify our alliance. The issue now is that when he deserted us, he deserted his own also. This is a betrayal he has committed against us also, one that also has a life sentence."_

_"But I already have valid claim to Jason's life." Sookie stated._

_"Indeed." Calvin agreed. "And so you see our dilemma."_

_"You can't have Jason's life." She said firmly. "Choose something else."_

_Calvin was silent for a moment as he thought. Jason betrayed everyone around him. That simple thought gave Calvin inspiration. "He's betrayed everyone around him. It is fitting that he be made to be dependent upon those he left for dead. Who would care for one who has betrayed them?"_

_"What are you talking about Calvin?" Sookie asked, not liking where this may be going._

_"It means that Jason is exiled from my clan. If he sets foot here again it will mean his life. None who have fought with and for him will care for him ever again. His betrayal to the clan will cost him both arms and both legs."_

_"You are not cutting off Jason's arms and legs." Sookie said horrified._

_"Quite right, there's no way to tear them off without killing him and we have no way to do it without arousing suspicion. If there was a way, make no mistake that I would take it but since there isn't this will be symbolic."_

Fuck._ The last time something had been symbolic, she ended up crushing Calvin's hand because she had stood up for Jason and he had stood up for Jason's now deceased wife Crystal. _

_"You're going to crush Jason's arms and legs to make him dependent on others but you are taking away the very people who would care for him." Sookie stated out loud as she tried to think of all the ramifications (hello word of the day) of this new situation. _

_"Yes I am." Calvin stated dispassionately._

_"Okay." Sookie agreed after a long moment. _

_"Seize him." He commanded. The panthers that were still in front of the guards surrounding Jason stepped forward._

_"No!" Sookie yelled and Jason's guards moved their swords to the ready._

_"There's no more maneuvering. This is the sentence that has been decreed and agreed to."_

_"I know but you were allowed to stand in for Crystal because she was pregnant."_

_"Yes, in her condition Crystal couldn't take having her hand crushed." He agreed. "But Jason isn't pregnant."_

_"Take a good look at Jason and tell me he can survive the shock to his system from having his limbs broken."_

_To his credit Calvin did take the time to actually assess Jason. "No, he is too weak." He finally said. "But there is nothing I can do for that. This is the sentence that has to be carried out today, before we disperse." He paused and then added. "Which will be in an hour."_

_"I will stand for my brother." Sookie said. _

_"Sookie no!" Jason yelled. He'd remained quiet when they debated over his life but he refused to allow Sookie to be further punished for what he did._

_"Yes Jason."_

_"Can she do that?" Evelyn asked Jamal._

_"She can but she shouldn't." He replied. "Her blood is precious."_

_"I can and I will." Sookie said to them even though they weren't speaking to her. "I won't order anyone else to do this and Jason isn't strong enough to do it himself."_

_"Then mistress let me do it." Evelyn said. "You're not ordering me to. I will volunteer."_

_"No." Sookie said. "You're human and less durable."_

_"I will stand up for Jason Stackhouse and take his sentence." A voice broke out calmly. _

_Everyone turned to the owner of the voice standing behind Sookie a little to the left. Noah stepped forward._

_"No." Sookie said._

_"Yes Mistress." Noah replied calmly._

_She didn't understand how he could be so calm about having his limbs crushed. She wouldn't allow him to do this. This situation came to this because of her and she would take it. She would do this for Jason. He is her blood. He is her responsibility._

_"No." She said again. "I command it."_

_Noah's lips curled slightly. "Then you will have to punish me." She opened her mouth to protest again. "No Queen let me do this. You are too valuable."_

_"No Noah. I will heal faster than you will. I can take a few moments of pain and I will be healed within seconds."_

_"That's good to know but that's not the only reason." Noah told her. "You are Queen now. You cannot afford to lay your body down for any reason. It doesn't matter that you can heal almost instantly. This action is symbolic and if the Queen of the kingdom bows or lays down for any reason to anyone then it sends a message that it can be done again. It weakens your position."_

_"A good leader knows when to bow and isn't hung up on perception." She told him._

_"Yes and a good leader also know's when to let someone else take the lead also." He countered. "I'm doing this Queen Northman. You and the King can punish me for my disobedience later." She didn't reply and Noah stepped forward. "I stand for Jason Stackhouse."_

_"Sookie I will take the consequences for my own actions." Jason yelled. "I am a man and I stand for myself."_

_"Shut up Jason." Sookie replied in a distant voice._

_"Accepted." Calvin called. "The bodyguard Noah will stand in for Jason Stackhouse. Bring the stones!"_

_Eight men scurried away only to reappear a few minutes later. They came back in pairs carrying two foot stones. The way each man struggled to carry the stones was a testament to how heavy they were. There was no doubt that dropping them on a limb -even a supe's limb- would easily cause a break. The men stopped and set the stones down in the center of the backyard where Jason stood before. Noah started to walk towards the men but Sookie grabbed his arm._

_"Wait, Calvin said that we have an hour."_

_"While I'm not jumping at the prospect of having my arms and legs crushed. I would prefer it be sooner than later." Noah said. "The anticipation is worse when there's time to sit and stew."_

_Sookie looked him fiercely in the eye and almost growled at him. "Seriously Noah I am so pissed at you right now so don't push me. We have an hour so let me take the time to help you out." Sookie could see the reluctance in his eye and her eyes flashed silver for a moment. "So help me God if you open you mouth I will electrocute you until you're nothing more than a pile of ashes blowing in the wind." Noah didn't speak just nodded. _

_"Calvin do you have a shot glass?" Sookie asked._

_"I can understand your need for a drink but..."_

_"I didn't ask you for something to drink." She interrupted. "I asked if you had a shot glass."_

_"Yes, I have a shot glass." He nodded to a girl and she disappeared into the house._

_"Thank you." Sookie said. He didn't reply but nodded. The girl came back out and held two shot glasses up for Sookie to choose from. One of them was a standard shot glass and the other was a taller glass designed for a double shot. She took the double shot glass and repeated her thanks to the girl she now recognized as Calvin's daughter. _

_Jamal signaled to the guards who were still around Jason and they made their way out of the backyard...taking a protesting Jason with them. He motioned to everyone else and they formed a tight circle around Sookie. They blocked as much of her as they could. She didn't have to touch her eye like she did in Las Vegas when she healed Ashton's face. She had so much welling inside of her that it was easy to let it well up inside her. Tears flowed freely from her eyes and she used the shot glass to capture as much as she could. Jamal yelled for the other shot glass and he caught even more of the free flowing tears. Both shot glasses were filled quickly and Sookie handed her glass over to Jamal so she wouldn't spill any of her silver tears. She took deep breaths as she wiped her face clean. It took her a few minutes to compose herself. _

_"Are you sure?" Sookie asked Noah when she was confident she could actually speak with a steady voice. _

_"I am." _

_"Okay." She said before turning to face Calvin. "We're ready."_

_"Let it begin." He called out._

_Noah walked to the center of the yard and lay down on the flat ground. Two men per stone, the stones were lifted and were held in place over each of Noah's limbs. _

_"With the crushing of Noah's limbs let it be known that all of Jason Stackhouse's ties with the Hot Shot panther community will be abolished from this point forward." After a moment of silence he yelled out. "Proceed." _

_Without hesitation the eight men dropped the crushing stones onto Noah's arms and legs. It wasn't so much of a breaking thump that you hear in the movies when you hear a bone being broken. It sounded more like melons being dropped on the sidewalk...only not. Was it sick trying to figure out what the shattering of Noah's bones sounded like? Probably. There was a moment when they hit when Noah's whole body was completely still. Sookie wondered why for a split second before his deafening roar shattered the night air. _

_Sookie was by Noah's side so fast that no one saw her even move. One moment she was standing between Anthony and Jamal and the next moment she was standing over Noah picking up the heavy stones and tossing them aside as if they were pebbles. She flitted over to Jamal and grabbed the shot glasses from him. By the time anyone else even twitched she was already kneeling over Noah who was roaring in pain. In the next moment Jamal was on Noah's other side and the rest of the guards created a moving circle around them and Evelyn was the last person allowed to penetrate that circle. Anthony and the other guards produced swords and stood attack positions. _

_"Noah!" Sookie yelled to get his attention. "You have to drink!" She poured the double shot down his throat. _

_He swallowed instinctively and felt instant relief. He was still in pain but it was no longer blinding and debilitating. He stopped yelling though he kept growling. Sookie poured the other shot into his mouth and he swallowed again but it was unnecessary. His pain was already gone and he could feel his body knitting itself back together. It hadn't even been thirty seconds since he swallowed but his arms and legs were almost perfect again but it was more than that. His muscled bulged as not only Sookie's ability to heal was passed to him but a bit of her power...power that he didn't know what to do with. He had never felt anything like it and his body began to shake after his arms and legs were fully healed. Noah jerked himself onto his side as he began to shake harder._

_"Noah?" Sookie called him but he didn't respond. She reached out to touch him only to jump backwards. She grabbed Evelyn and moved her away from Noah's body and outside the other guard's protective circle while she yelled. "GET AWAY!"_

_Sookie turned back just in time to see Noah explode. _

_Jamal, Anthony, and the other two guards were knocked away. Everyone besides Sookie and Evelyn (who Sookie was holding on to), in the backyard stumbled backwards from the power explosion. __They all looked back but Noah wasn't laying on the ground anymore, instead a gray wolf bigger than Sookie had ever seen stood -shaking- in his place. _

_Alcide had been the biggest wolf Sookie had ever seen but this wolf would have easily towered over Alcide. This wasn't the same wolf that Sookie had met and known as Noah's wolf. Noah was normally a black wolf with gray and silver coloring around his face, neck, and down his belly. This new wolf was gray with white-ish coloring around his face and neck. The wolf seemed to regain himself after a moment and he opened his mouth and howled deafeningly at the daytime sky. _

_Goosebumps appeared on Sookie's arms as she realized that she could...feel Noah. She wasn't listening to his mind but feeling his disorientation, his fear, his...overwhelming power that coursed through his body that he didn't know what to do with. That power forced his change into this wolf because Noah's human body could not handle all the power. Her educated guess was that his normal wolf body couldn't have handled the power either, which is why they had this new super wolf in front of them. She could feel him panicking as he tried to contain the power within himself. Noah howled again, causing several of the supes to cover their ears. _

_Sookie stepped towards the wolf. "Noah." The wolf didn't seem to hear her. Sookie thought a moment before she opened her bond a little and let some of her power fill her. Her eyes tinted silver and her hair began to speak. "Noah." She called with power behind his name. This got the wolf's attention. The big wolf looked down to Sookie and his gray eyes met her silver. The power that was swallowing him recognized her. "You can't contain the power." She told him. "Stop trying to hold it and just ride it. Relax and let the power have it's way."_

_They stared at each other for a moment and her silver eyes never left his gray. She opened her mind to him and was pleasantly surprised that she could hear him just as clearly. He debated with himself for a moment but he quickly let go. He was scared but he trusted her to take care of him more than he was willing to give into his own fear. So he relaxed his new wolf body and just let the power wash over him. It was incredible. He felt as if he was drowning in Sookie's essence. The power was great but when he stopped fighting it, it was no longer painful. He felt himself changing all the way down to his core. As a werewolf he has always had heightened senses but everything was so much more. Was this how the King and Queen saw when they were powered up? If it was then he may as well have been blind. No wonder why she always argued against bodyguards. He luxuriated in the power as wave after wave washed over him. It swirled and twirled and ebbed and flowed within him and around him._

_His gray coat lightened at the tips to a sparkling silver. After about five minutes Sookie felt Noah calm and relaxed. He seemed to find his center within all the power and he seemed to come back to himself. He sat down on his hind legs and looked at Sookie. He then lowered his head to her in a wolf bow. He stayed like that until Sookie reached over and ran her hand over his head. He was so soft. She got closer and ran her hand down Noah's neck and he purred in appreciation then laid down completely. Sookie snickered as she knelt over him and began rubbing his neck and shoulder even more. _

_"Can I come closer?" Evelyn asked carefully. _

_"Are you okay now?" Sookie asked Noah. _

_He made a playful sound before he thought to Sookie. _"Yes, I feel wonderful."

_Sookie giggled again. "Yes it's okay to come closer, he's safe."_

_Evelyn knelt on the other side of Noah and began petting him. "He's so soft." She said in awe. _

_"I know right." Sookie replied. Sookie looked around and everyone was staring at the trio with a range of different expressions on their faces. "I think we should get going. I need to get somewhere I can figure out just what happened to him._

_"Calvin, is everything settled now?"_

_"Yes Sookie." He replied. "I think it's a good idea for you to go also." He locked eyes with her then pointedly looked around at the mixed response of the Hot Shot residence and then he locked eyes with her again. She got his meaning. He wasn't kicking her out or being mean. He wanted her to go before someone did something stupid. He could stop one or two people from being dumb but if it turned into a mob he -even as the leader- couldn't stop everyone at once before someone did something stupid that caused war._

_Sookie nodded to Calvin as they used the gate door to the side of his house to exit through. They ended up having to let the third row seat down so that Noah wouldn't have to run all the way back to Shreveport. The middle seat laid down in sections so they laid down the single seat for him to have a little extra room. Sookie sat closest to him and Evelyn sat by the door. They tried to talk out the possibilities of what happened to Noah almost the whole way home. Boy was Eric going to be surprised._

**END FLASHBACK**

When Eric rose the night of their return to find a humongous wolf lying on the floor at Sookie's feet he completely froze. "Surprise!" Sookie yelled.

"Sookie do you need to tell me something?" He asked mildly though he was feeling anything besides mild.

"We got a new pet?" She tried. Eric didn't laugh even though Noah threw in a playful bark. "Okay fine. I think it's better to show you what happened. I don't think I could tell you right."

Eric nodded and Sookie let down all the walls in her mind. Image after image after image passed from Sookie's mind to Erics'. He stared intently at Sookie but when they got to the part of Noah he turned his gaze to the wolf at her feet.

"You overdosed him?" He said after a moment to process what he saw.

"That's the conclusion we came to also." She agreed.

Eric shook his head. "I suppose I can't ever leave you alone."

"I could have told you that much." She replied sarcastically.

He smirked then spoke to the gray wolf. "Are you able to change back now that it's been a few hours?" Noah lifted his wolf head and turned his gray eyes to Eric. After a moment he shook his head no. "There's still too much power?" Noah dropped his head and then lifted it up again in his form of a 'yes.'

"I healed Pam and Ashton, but neither of them had nearly as much of my tears."

"I suppose we could call Dr. Ludwig and have her look at him and we could just watch him."

"Yes please call her." Sookie said.

Dr. Ludwig arrived within twenty minutes of Eric's call. She seemed wary of both Eric and Sookie though she seemed to relax when she looked at both intently and figured out that it was the real Eric and Sookie. Sookie remembered how the doctor acted when Briel and Gabe took her and Eric's places but Eric caught her eye and shook his head slightly. She wanted to press but figured that everyone was entitled to their privacy.

Dr. Ludwig came prepared for a shifted Were and Noah followed her into an office Eric said she could use. They stayed gone for a good half hour. Sookie tried opening her mind to read the doctor's mind but Dr. Ludwig thought in a language that Sookie couldn't even begin to recognize and all she got from Noah is images of the doctor pressing on different places on his body and looking into his mouth. So she and Eric waited patiently for the doctor to complete her exam.

"This were is perfectly healthy." Dr. Ludwig declared when she and Noah reappeared. "As far a I can tell all of his senses have been heightened unbelievably but he is in no danger. He does feel of you Queenie. He feels of your power. I wanted to take blood from him to do an analysis but I was unable to penetrate his skin. I even tried placing a piece of silver on his skin to weaken it but he seemed unaffected."

"What does this mean?" Sookie asked. "How long will this last?"

"As far as I can tell this will be a permanent change. He has been changed on the molecular level and there's no going back for him."

"Will he be able to shift back to being human?" Sookie asked horrified.

"Oh yes he will." Dr. Ludwig waved her off. "He's still experiencing a power high and his body is still going through changes. Just give him time and when his body is done with the transformation then he will be able to shift back to his human state."

"Oh good." Sookie breathed before turning to Noah. "I'm sorry Noah. I didn't mean for this to happen."

Noah looked warily at Eric for a moment before walking over to Sookie. He bent his head and rubbed her knee before stepping back and sitting on his haunches.

"I'd say he forgives you." Dr. Ludwig ventured. She walked over to Sookie and began checking over her. "How do you feel?"

"I'm perfectly fine." Sookie said though she didn't stop the doctor from examining her.

"Do you feel a connection with the wolf now?"

"Yes, I can feel him in the back of my head now. Like his feelings, but not like I feel Eric. It's not nearly as strong as that. Uh..." She tried to explain how it felt. "Maybe like a noise you don't notice until you have use of it or disappears?" She looked at Eric for help.

"I would probably acquaint what she describes to what a vampire feels from a human who has taken their blood."

"Can you ignore it?" Dr. Ludwig asked.

"Yes but a part of me knows that it's there." She replied. "Do you think it will fade?"

"Probably not but we will have to see." Dr. Ludwig turned to Eric. "Can you feel the wolf?"

"No, but I'm not trying to." He answered. "I'm sure that if we opened out bond I would be able to pick up the link to him."

"Try it." She ordered.

They both dropped the shields in their minds. They didn't open their bond completely because they didn't want to transform but they opened it enough that Sookie's eyes turned silver and her hair streaked. Eric's eyes turned solid gold and his hair got darker. Eric searched their connection for anything new. It was there. It was like a warm pulse that didn't belong to Sookie but slightly tasted of her...only not. Noah, who had been staring at Sookie, suddenly looked over to Eric and the two locked eyes.

Dr. Ludwig watched the exchange silently and made mental notes. "Well it looks like it's a two way street. Can you feel the Viking wolf?"

Noah looked at her and dropped his head and lifted it back up in confirmation that he could indeed feel Eric too.

"Okay that's enough." She said and they began to close the bond again. "I'm going to need blood from the wolf and you queenie so I can figure out exactly how much of you is now in him."

"No." Eric said firmly. "Sookie cannot give blood for any reason. You can take what you need from the wolf."

"It would tell me more if I can compare it to its source." She pressed.

"Well you are just going to have to tell us what you can without Sookie's."

Dr. Ludwig studied Eric's face for a moment to see how much she should press but decided (wisely) to let it go. "Okay fine, but it doesn't change the fact that I don't have an instrument that can pierce the wolf's skin."

"Come here Noah." Eric said and Noah walked over to him and sat at Eric's feet. Eric called his dagger to him and turned to the doctor. "Give me a vile." Dr. Ludwig complied by handing him three and Eric looked back to Noah. They stared at one another for a moment before Eric dropped to his knee and ran the blade of his dagger lightly across Noah's stomach. His blood immediately gushed forward and Eric was able to catch the majority of blood in the three vials before the wound healed within moments. Eric stood and offered the vials back to Dr. Ludwig.

"Good." She said as she received the vials. "As far as I can tell he, nor anyone else, is in any immediate danger. I would advise that you refrain from giving anyone such a dose of your tears until we know more." She turned to leave before turning back. "Has anyone else had your tears?"

"Yes." Sookie said. "I saved Pam from a killing wound to her neck during the take over, but that was before I knew I could heal her. I was just crying over her dying body but it healed her completely. I also used a small amount to heal a bad wound on one of our Sheriff's because it was done by a cursed blade and wouldn't heal."

"But neither has ingested as much as this wolf?"

"No, no one." Sookie confirmed.

"If it's okay by you two I would like a sample of both vampire's blood." She told them. "I would like to compare the three against each other."

Eric thought for a minute before agreeing. "It will be done." He said with a nod.

"Out of the two vampires who would you say has had the most tears?"

Eric looked to Sookie who didn't have to think. "Definitely Pam. I cried directly into her wound for a long while before I realized she was healing. I used just a little to close the wound - I probably wiped off more than I rubbed on the wound."

Dr. Ludwig nodded. "Any adverse reactions?"

For this answer Sookie looked to Eric because she didn't know how much she should reveal. Eric thought about it for a moment but decided that Dr. Ludwig had earned his trust. She had never given him a reason not to trust her. Plus she was a powerful being and not many walked the Earth that could extract information from her that she doesn't want to freely give. With this in mind he spoke truthfully. "We left before we could observe any changes in the Sheriff but Pam wasn't pulled by the call of the sun at all. It was as if it were night time. She had to be put to sleep by a friend. She was also heavily fortified. She should have been killed by a death blow from a demon but was merely knocked across the room. All of her senses have been heightened beyond her years."

"To your knowledge is she still experiencing these side effects?"

"I have ordered her as her maker to not resist the sun unless it's an emergency but her heightened senses have remained. She is just a few hundred years old but she has senses of someone maybe eight or nine hundred years old; older but still no match for me."

"Okay, I will get started on the tests." Dr. Ludwig announced. "Get those other blood samples to me as soon as possible. Call me when the wolf is back to being human and I will examine him again. I expect payment by the end of the week."

"Always the pleasure." He replied sarcastically.

"Wait!" Sookie said when she realized that Dr. Ludwig was about to leave. "How long will Noah be stuck like this?"

Dr. Ludwig studied the wolf that hadn't moved from Eric's side yet and then looked back at Sookie. "I can't say for sure but my educated guess would be a few days to a week." Without another word she disappeared.

"'A few days to a week'" Sookie mimicked the doctor. "Well if that's all." She huffed, making Eric laugh.

"Well it's not like he's not used to being a wolf Dearest." He pointed out before looking at Noah. "You are to stay close while in this state. Do not leave the property unless you are escorting Sookie to a supe event." Noah nodded. "Good, we do not want to cause a panic or raise suspicion."

It turned out that Noah would stay in wolf form for four days. Dr. Ludwig was called back and examined him and once again he was given a clean bill of health. Noah seemed perfectly fine...only more. He was a few inches taller. His shoulders were a few inches broader. His muscles were more defined. He was leaner but gave the impression that he was bigger too because of harsh outline of his muscles that was now more visible under his clothes. His sight was better; so was his sense of smell and hearing and taste. He was faster than ever before and was able to shift faster and easier. Instead of his shifting being an actual decision, it seemed to be reflex. He said he even felt smarter, like his already impressive brain seemed to compute everything even faster.

Noah actually had a connection with Sookie too. It wasn't the same as what a vampire and human feel when the human takes the vampire's blood. It was just a hum that disappeared into the backdrop of his life until he actively thought of Sookie. They were able to get each other's attention that way. When this came to light they tested it with Pam. Where as with Noah the hum in the background came to the foreground and they could get an impression on whether the other was ok. With Pam, it was more like a sudden thought of Pam would come across Sookie's mind. Sookie would be reading and out of no where she would wonder what Pam was up to. They discovered that she didn't even have that much with Ashton though they didn't know if it was because of them all he had the least dose of her tears or if it was because of the distance between the two. Ashton did report that he felt more energized. His already impressive senses were even sharper. He had even less need of sleep and found himself waking earlier than ever, though he did still feel the call of the sun.

Some of the other guards were weary of Noah but Anthony and Jamal weren't. After a few doggy jokes they were back to normal. Sookie knew that the first time they had time off they went off together. She didn't ask what they did nor did they tell her. In the end whatever it was seemed that they did, seemed to draw them closer as a group. They trained on the grounds together and drew everyone's attention.

"Who is watching the grounds?" Sookie asked. Someone spouted out the names of those still at their posts. It was more than enough so she turned to Jamal. "What are you guys doing?"

"We've spent many hours perfecting our three pronged fighting. With the new and improved Noah, I thought we should modify our patterns to better use his new gifts."

"That sounds like fun." Sookie smiled. "Can I help?"

"Of course Queen." Jamal said. "It would be good to have someone to protect. I can get a few guys to attack and we can see where we are so far."

"That sounds great." Sookie beamed. "Just let me go change out of this dress."

"Of course Queen."

She turned back to the house but paused. "And Jamal, I will be the bad guy." She hurried into the house and put on a pair of yoga pants black yoga pants and a white sports bra. When she had her shoes tied she got her steel sais that Eric had given her to practice with when they first came into their powers. When she had everything she walked back out to see that more of the servants and gardeners had come out to watch.

"If anyone in a security position is leaving this home vulnerable by abandoning your post, it will be in your best interests to return...now." She pointedly turned around and a few people took the opportunity to sneak back to where they were supposed to be. She turned back around again to find a still sizeable number of personnel still there but it was mostly gardeners and housekeepers and just a few security people that roamed the woods of her home. "Evelyn?" She called.

"Yes mistress?" Evelyn answered with a bow.

"Jamal, meet your Sookie." She pushed Evelyn towards Jamal.

"Your Majesty." Jamal bowed mockingly at Evelyn.

"Kind stranger." She replied with a practice curtsey.

Jamal looked back over to Sookie. "The rules?"

Sookie thought for a moment. "You can shift whenever you want. How you defend your queen will be entirely up to you. Arm her if she's comfortable. I won't power up or call any of my weapons." She raised her steel sais "These will be my only weapons. This will be full contact and we will use all the woods. I will go back in the home for five minutes before coming back out. If you're killed you must return here to the backyard."

"What about your telepathy?" Anthony asked.

Sookie smiled for a moment before answering. "I promise not to use my telepathy. No one coming after me will have that ability so it won't be something that you will have to contend with when defending me."

"Okay let me call the guard stations then." Jamal said. "We can use this as an entire security simulation. The entire backyard is wired and we can have the security try to hunt you at the same time."

"Good idea." Noah said. "Even during this exorcise we need to be on high alert and keep eyes on you Queen." He ran inside for a moment before returning with an extra walkie talkie. "Take this and everyone turn to channel three. If anyone sees anything suspicious send it out over the walkies and everyone will converge back on the home. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Sookie said as she took the walkie and clipped it onto her yoga pants. Everyone else agreed also and Jamal ordered the guards back to their posts. Sookie walked back into the house and poured herself a glass of water. The maids wished her luck as they too came back into the house. After five minutes she stepped back out into her backyard. She lifted her walkie and pressed the side button so her voice will go out over the channel. "Times up. Everyone on high alert. Our simulation begins now."

"Ready." Jamal's voice responded, quickly followed by the guards at their posts.

Sookie waited another minute before she walked further into the backyard and took a deep breath. They had split up. Noah and Evelyn went South into the woods while Jamal and Anthony split going West and East into the woods on either side of the home. She followed Noah's scent through the woods. He wound his way around Bill's home until she came to an oak tree where his scent stopped. She walked all the way around the tree but his scent was no where else around the tree. At a momentary loss of what to do, she took a deep breath again but all she smelled was Noah and Evelyn. No one else had come this way and she already reached the end of the road for that trail.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. There was movement all around her. More than just Evelyn, Jamal, Noah, and Anthony were in the woods. The other guards were weaving their way through the forest and this masked and confused any sounds that Evelyn and her guards were making, damn. She wasn't sure where to go from there so she jogged back towards the home. She was about twenty feet from the clearing where her home stood but she didn't actually go into the clearing. She zig zagged her way around it trying to catch a scent. That his how she was able to come across Jamal and Evelyn's scent. They had traded off protectors.

Hmmm, trading off protectors; it was an interesting idea. Had she gotten close to Noah and Evelyn or were they just trying to confuse the trail? She followed the trail but again it came to a dead end and she was left without a place to go. What were they doing? Again Sookie turned around and weaved her way around her home. She wound her way around over and over. She would come to a new trail and follow it only to find herself at a dead end. She knew that they were handing Evelyn off from one to another. She became frustrated with herself. She knew how to track because she pulled it from Eric's mind but _knowing _and _practicing _are two separate things.

Frustrated Sookie made her way back to her backyard. She walked around her home to the front and sat on her porch. She wasn't Eric. She hadn't honed her skills in a thousand years. So even though she knew how to do it, she had no knowledge of the subtleties that are only experienced. No, she definitely was Eric. She closed her eyes and thought about how to proceed. It was then that a sudden thought occurred to her. _Why did she need to be Eric?_She didn't. She never would be Eric and she knew that, but what was so wrong about being Sookie? Nothing. For years everyone had underestimated her and for years she had proven everyone wrong and now wouldn't be so different. She'd promised not to use her telepathy or to power up but that was okay. She still had super speed super strength and the ability to fly.

Without warning Sookie leapt off the porch and faster than anyone could have seen she sprinted head long into the forest. She ran with speed only she and Eric possessed. She picked up trail after trail but refused to follow any more than a few minutes old. She circled over and over before diving into the air. She barely made any noise when she ran, but now that she had taken to the air she was completely silent. As she flew through the trees she was able to figure out why their trails ended. They weren't hiding Evelyn on the ground but in the trees.

"I lost her." Noah whispered as he met up with Anthony and Evelyn. "She's taken off at super speed and I couldn't keep up."

"I think we should move as a unit now." Anthony said. "If we are unable to keep away from her I don't want to be caught with a man down."

"I agree." Noah said before turning to Evelyn. "I need you to hold onto my back as we go."

Anthony pressed the talk button on a headset that he, Jamal, and Noah used to communicate. "Lost target. Regroup pattern delta."

"On it." Jamal replied.

Noah swung Evelyn over his shoulder and she clasped her arms tightly around his neck. He jumped down and the three broke away from each other. They ran a zig zag pattern ten feet away from one another that way they were together but there was enough room between them that if someone spotted one it would be hard for them to spot the other. They regrouped with Jamal by the alpha security check point.

"She followed a few trails before seeming to give up and going to sit on the front porch. She sat for a while and then shot out into the trees." Noah reported. "I tried to find her but she's using her super speed."

"Alpha house, report." Jamal ordered into his headset.

"Hostile took off on foot before taking to the air. Unable to lock onto hostile."

"Last sighting?"

"Southwest section by the Compton home." It replied.

"Okay, we-" Jamal started but was interrupted by his headset.

"Negative! Negative! Hostile has set off motion sensors and is heading toward alpha home." The excited voice said. "Hostile closing in on your position!"

Without a word their group of four didn't say another word. Jamal lead them deeper into the forest but it was too late. Sookie locked onto them. They took off deeper into the forest but now that Sookie had them it wasn't going to be so easy to shake her.

Jamal looked back to see Sookie was virtually on top of them. "She's too close!" He yelled. "Full moon split!"

Noah dove into the air and seemed to explode like no other werewolf did. Evelyn screamed as her arms suddenly surrounded the neck of a silver wolf and not a human man anymore. Noah ran towards the Stackhouse home. Jamal took a longer route to their rendezvous. Normally they would have tried to stay together but Sookie was too close. They each headed in their own direction to their new rendezvous and hopefully confusing Sookie's plan of attack.

Unperturbed at their breakaway from each other Sookie kept her eyes on her target. Noah didn't change like a normal werewolf anymore but seemed to explode into his second shape. Sookie dove when something crashed into her side. Whatever it was cocooned her as she hit the ground rolling then it was gone. She got to her feet again to look around to find what had hit her. Anthony was already on his feet.

"Are you okay?" Anthony asked.

"I'm fine...though now I have a new respect for football players." He laughed and just as suddenly took off in a third direction.

Sookie took off back into the air, coming down right in front of Anthony. "I think you should stay around for a while."

Anthony pulled his sword from the scabbard on his back. "As my Queen wishes."

Anthony was the first to strike. He brought his sword downward in an effort to throw her off balance but Sookie was able to block without issue. It didn't matter though because Anthony didn't relent after just one blow. He moved with lightning speed as he launched attack after attack after attack. Sookie easily kept up with him but it was still impressive. There seemed to be a certain dance to Anthony's attacks. He would switch from fast and furious strikes to slow and almost playful moves. Every so often he would bring a powerful swing from the side. He was systematically testing her defenses for weakness.

Unknown to them their fight was being picked up by the hidden cameras that were strategically placed all through the forest. Every guard with a hand monitor tuned in and those without the hand monitors found someone who had one. One of the guards even went into the Stackhouse home so that they could watch it on the fifty-two inch in the living room; all the house servants came to watch too.

Anthony continued to test Sookie but he found no weaknesses. She left no openings for him to strike and she was deadly accurate with her weapons. She began speeding her attacks too pushing him to go faster than every before. At first he hung with her but soon it became all he could do to keep up. She was faster than even a vampire and made several taunting cuts on his arms. Abruptly Anthony brought down his sword in a great strike. Sookie was able to block but it took both of her sais crossed in front of her. He pulled back his sword and kicked her crossed sais with all his might. Sookie was knocked back and Anthony took the chance to run. Most wolves preferred to stay stationary during the change but they all had the ability to run and change at the same time in case of danger.

Sookie jumped to her feet and took to the air. She followed Anthony as he changed into his werewolf form. The first thing he did as a wolf was let out a great howl. She knew immediately that Jamal and Noah would know that Anthony was forced to change.

"Grab and go! Grab and go!" She heard Jamal's voice but she knew he wasn't close. She landed and came across a small headset Anthony must have worn as a human. She picked it up but didn't know what 'Grab and go' meant but a different idea struck her and she pressed the talk button.

"One, two Sookie's coming for you. Three, four you better lock the door. Five six grab your bag of tricks. Seven eight you better stay up late. Nine, ten Evelyn will be mine again." She sang into the headset.

Jamal's laughter came back over the line. "Freddy Krueger? Really Queen Sookie?"

"Now that I think about it, we should go and see that movie tonight."

"Well as soon as you lose we can go."

Sookie laughed. "We shall see."

Two wolves howled at the same moment and once again Sookie took to the air. This time she went up above the tops of the trees until she could see the entire property. She didn't know why but something inside her pulled her towards the house. She didn't hesitate and she saw her targets through the thicket behind her home. Sookie didn't think, she just landed between the silver wolf with the girl on his back and the man at their side. Jamal barely had time to turn before Sookie landed a side kick to his ribs sending him flying into the backyard. Noah leapt away but Sookie blurred to his side and flipped her sais around. She landed a double hit to Noah's ribs with the blunt end of her weapons. Noah landed in the backyard though he managed to stay on his feet. Sookie stepped into the clearing also.

"Ready to give?" She asked.

Noah growled a clear no just as Jamal got to his feet. "I don't think so."

Sookie shrugged and flipped her sais again. Jamal pulled his sword and stepped in front of Noah and Evelyn. Sookie leapt first and Jamal met her attack head on. They seemed to be a bit more on equal footing. Noah took the chance to try and dart back into the forest. Sookie put on a burst of speed onto her attack and was able to land a kick to the side of Jamal's face. She took to the air and landed in front of Noah before he could make it into the trees. Her body was poised to strike but Noah didn't back down. Sookie stepped forward taking a vertical swipe with her left hand, quickly followed by her right. Noah's large body was very agile and he was able to back away from one sai and use his great paw to block the other. He returned her attack but took special care with Evelyn still clutching precariously to his back.

Jamal came up to Sookie's left and together, he and Noah took Sookie on.

"Get down Evelyn!" Jamal yelled as they kept Sookie contained.

"Are you crazy?" She yelled back and tightened her grip.

"Jump down and run!" He yelled back. "NOW!"

Reluctantly Evelyn moved her legs to the same side. Jamal leapt at Sookie at the same time Noah ducked his body and shook Evelyn off. She ran the opposite direction for the forest. She was twenty feet away when she heard a loud roar and Jamal curse and grunt. Evelyn looked back to see her protectors unmoving on the ground but there was no Sookie in sight.

"Boo!" Sookie said as she landed in front of Evelyn.

She screamed but her instincts drew her katana and she crouched into her ready position.

"I didn't know you were a fighter." Sookie said curiously.

"I don't like to but I can if I need to." Evelyn admitted.

"Well let's see how good you are." Sookie crouched to the ready. "I would never go quietly."

Evelyn was going to respond but in that moment Sookie attacked. It only took Evelyn a second to know that she was outmatched. Queen Sookie was far stronger than she was. She tried to block and attack but every time her katana met one of Queen Sookie's sais she was knocked back a step. It didn't look as if the Queen was putting anything extra into her attacks, she was just stronger. Evelyn didn't dare look to see whether or not Noah or Jamal were still unconscious. It was all she could do not to lose their game for them.

Sookie was impressed with Evelyn. The fact that she was able to fight sensibly with a katana was wonderful but the fact that she was human was very apparent. It reminded Sookie of when she was first thrust into the supe world; a human surrounded by superhuman beings. Because Evelyn could fight when she didn't look as if she knew how would be a great strength. She could see Noah and Jamal stirring and decided to end the fight now. She swung her left hand sai over head to bring it down in a great strike. She pulled her right hand sai back for the kill strike. Just as she was bringing her left hand down a great roar sounded to their side. A dark chocolate fuzz knocked Sookie back but not before her left handed sai struck the beginning of the fuzz.

Sookie was knocked onto her ass. She looked over to see the wolf she knew to be Anthony laying on the ground with Evelyn laying on his other side. Sookie walked over to see Anthony staring at her. His neck was bleeding and she looked at her sai to see blood on the blade. She opened her mind to him.

"Are you okay?"

_'Fine, it's a superficial scratch but I'm dead.'_

He was right. The wound closed before he even finished his thought. Sookie nodded at him before closing her mind again.

Noah and Jamal came to stand behind Evelyn and looked at Anthony. "Anthony is dead." Sookie told them. Anthony sat up and gave a soft yelp. Noah and Jamal took that as reassurance that he was okay.

Jamal grabbed Evelyn's arm and pulled her to her feet. "Run!" He told her urgently and this time she didn't hesitate. Evelyn ran as fast as she could into the forest. Sookie lunged at her but Jamal and Noah blocked her path. They didn't give her a chance to take off, they both just attacked. One on one they didn't stand much of a chance against her but Noah was stronger and faster than a normal werewolf and Jamal was one of the best fighters in the kingdom. Together Noah and Jamal were enough to keep Sookie busy while Evelyn got away. They were a ball of dust and clanging swords, sais, and silver paws. As Sookie began to speed up her attacks between Jamal and Noah they were able to handle the increased speed.

Eric awoke as the sun began its decent. He opened the bedroom window to find Sookie sparing with Noah and Jamal as Anthony looked on. At first he was confused but he didn't feel anything bad coming from Sookie so he concluded they were just practicing. He approved of them helping to hone her skills. He walked down stairs to find the help gathered in the living room watching on the plasma screen.

"Good evening sir." Susan was the first to notice his arrival and greet him. Everyone's head snapped over to him before everyone bowed and greeted him.

"Good evening everyone." He said. Everyone began making excuses so that they could go back to where they belonged. "It's okay everyone. I too want to watch how well my wife has done."

"Well it was a bit of a rocky start at first but now she has killed Anthony and Evelyn his running away in the forest." Susan told him.

Eric looked on the plasma that had a screen in screen picture. The bigger screen was of the fight in the backyard and the smaller screen kept track of where Evelyn was. "Why is Evelyn running through the forest?"

"Well Mistress Northman is the bad guy in this scenario." Susan began. "Noah, Anthony, and Jamal are charged to keep the 'queen' safe. In this scenario the queen is Evelyn."

"Why isn't Sookie the 'queen'?" Eric asked.

"She wanted to be the bad guy." Susan laughed. "The entire security team is on high alert. They are taking this simulation as an opportunity to run a real life drill of the systems with Queen Sookie playing the bad guy."

"Oh, that is a good idea." Eric conceded as he turned to watch his wife fight.

Noah took a swipe at Sookie's head and she bent backwards to avoid the blow. Jamal swept her feet from up under her and brought down his sword in a killing strike. Sookie blocked Jamal's sword and kicked his feet from up under him and jumped back to her feet. Noah swiped again and this time he caught her at the ribs and knocking her to the side. Sookie contorted her body mid air until it was her feet that hit the tree first. She used her ability to fly to keep her from falling to the ground. She stood on the side of the tree as if she were standing on the ground. Noah and Jamal looked at her stunned for a moment and in that time Sookie launched herself at Noah.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and the momentum of her attack knocked Noah onto his back. Jamal didn't hesitate as he came up behind them. His arm, with sword in hand, came level with Sookie's neck as she sat up on top of Noah. Faster than he could see Sookie's sais appeared out of no where to block his sword but the force of Jamal's strike sent Sookie flying over Noah's head.

Everyone in the house jumped in excitement. They were so sure that Jamal had the Queen that time. It was when they looked around for Eric's reaction that they noticed that he was no longer sitting with them.

Eric stood on the back porch, not realizing when he'd decided to even move. Anthony was the first to notice him and he went over to sit by Eric's feet. The bodyguard and the King looked at one another for a moment but in the next moment they turned back to the action.

"Why does she not transform?" Eric asked no one in particular.

"She promised that she wouldn't." Susan said. She bowed and then sat opposite Anthony on the stairs. "She promised not to transform, not to use her telepathy, and to not call her real weapons."

They watched in silence as Jamal and Noah launched themselves at Sookie simultaneously. Their attacks were fast and furious and vicious. Sookie didn't flinch but met them both head on and with her own viciousness. Soon they became a blur to Susan and all she could see was movement, but she couldn't tell who was doing what anymore. She still watched the blurs in amazement. Eric was impressed once again with how well Sookie's guards fought. They all stood toe to toe and every so often one would land a kick to the stomach or to the ribs, knocking the person back but no one truly had the upper hand.

"Sookie why do you play with them?" Eric asked.

"Hi honey!" Sookie yelled back. "I'll be with you in a-"

Jamal took advantage of Sookie's distraction and went in for a killing blow. Even distracted Sookie was faster than either of her guards. She was able to block Jamal but not before his blade cut across her shoulder. She felt the blade and cried out though she never actually bled. Sookie took the momentum of the blow and allowed it to spin her around. She brought her blade up with a flash and brought her sai across Jamal's neck faster than he was able to see her move.

"KILL!" Sookie yelled. It was then the sting of the cut on his throat registered with Jamal's brain. He touched his neck and pulled back a bloody hand.

Noah reared back on two legs in preparation to strike. Sookie moved into the wolf's body and struck over his heart with the blunt end of her sai. Noah flew backward but Sookie moved with him and when he landed on his back Sookie landed on his chest. She flipped her sai around and pressed the sharp tip over Noah's heart. "KILL!" She yelled again.

Everyone froze for a moment before Sookie jumped off Noah. He quickly rolled over and bowed at her feet.

"Good fight." She said as she ran her hand over his head. She looked over to Jamal. "Are you okay?"

"Already closed." He informed her as he walked up and showed her his neck. He reached to touch her arm. "I'm sorry, how is your arm?"

"No big." She replied with a smile. "Didn't even break the skin."

Jamal relaxed a little. Eric walked over to them and swept Sookie into his arms. "Having fun?"

"Yes! It was so much fun!" She told him excitedly. "I am horrible at tracking on my own. I know how to do it. I just need practice at doing it in my own head and out of yours. I killed Anthony first when he jumped between me and Evelyn. He sacrificed himself so that she could get away. Oh Evelyn!" She turned to Jamal. "Someone needs to go get her. She's still running in the forest." Anthony gave a loud bark before taking off into the trees.

"I was told that this was an exercise for our entire security?" Eric asked Jamal.

"Yes sir." He confirmed. "We ran the entire security as if this was a real threat to the Queen. Everyone did their part and ran the entire systems during this exercise."

"What are your initial findings?"

"Well if this was real then we would have definitely been able to remove the Queen before any threat came close. It only came down to this fight because we didn't leave our lands as a parameter. So we had to hide Evelyn on the land instead of leaving and taking her to a safe house."

"Good I want to watch all the tapes and I want a complete report with all our findings of our systems. I want to know of any perceived weaknesses."

"Yes sir."

"Come on fighter lets go relax for a while I need to talk to you."

"Okay." Sookie easily agreed. "Thanks guys, this was really fun."

"No problem Queen, it was enlightening for us too."

"Oh?"

"Really." Jamal said with a smile.

"How so?"

"You allowed the fight to go on longer than need be." He said simply. Sookie didn't respond but her face went completely blank. Jamal guessed it was something that she picked up from the King. "Tell me you didn't." He challenged.

Sookie opened her mouth to deny it but she couldn't lie. So instead she smiled sweetly and said. "See y'all later." She let Eric lead her back into the house.

He took Sookie upstairs through the house servants that congratulated her almost the entire way. When they were locked in the master bedroom he brought her into the bathroom and began running them a bath in the new whirlpool tub with jets. He put bath oils into the hot water as it ran before he turned and began undressing Sookie. When she was naked he pushed her to sit on the toilet top. He then began undressing himself slowly. Sookie looked at every inch of newly revealed skin like she was a starving woman and Eric was her first meal. She saw his sensual lips curl into a smirk. She looked up into her husbands face and was instantly captured by his fathomless eyes. She could see all the emotion he held for her in his cerulean depths and it took her breath away.

When he was nude he took her by the hand and pulled her into the tub. She moved forward to make room for him and he slid in behind her. They didn't speak but he quietly washed her body and then her hair. When he rinsed her hair she moved around and sat on the back of the tub with Eric between her legs. She cupped her hand into the bath water and used it to wet his hair. She lathered up his hair and massaged the shampoo into his long locks. She rinsed the shampoo out and put conditioner in. She used one of her hair clips that she kept on the side of the tub to clip his hair out of her way then she lathered the wash cloth and washed his back. When his back was lathered she used the soap as lubricant and massaged his back. Eric's head dropped forward with an appreciative growl.

"Do you love my hands on you?" She asked in a whisper.

"Yes my Lover." Eric responded. "Always."

"I love touching you." She made sure to brush her lips over his ear as she whispered to him.

A growl erupted from Eric's chest and he reached around to grab her arm. He pulled her into his chest so that she straddled his legs. He tried to capture her lips but she pulled away. "Ah ah Ah." She chastised. "I wasn't done yet."

His eyes pierced through her but she took great care not to meet his eyes. She knew that if she did she would be done for. She took the clip out of his hair and he obligingly tilted his head back so that she could rinse his hair easier. He ran one of his hands slowly over her thigh making Sookie shiver. Then without warning he plunged two fingers deep within her. Sookie cried out and tightened her hands into his hair.

"Are you done yet?" He asked with all the calmness of someone asking what the weather was like outside. Sookie opened her mouth to respond when Eric thrust his fingers harder into her and curling them.

"Eric!" Sookie moaned. "Ahh!"

"How about now?"

"Oh God! So good." She began ridding Eric's hand.

"Come on Sookie, I thought you weren't done. Does my hair still need to be rinsed?"

"Shut up." Sookie all but growled as she threw her head back and closed her eyes.

"Magnificent." Eric murmured as he watched Sookie ride her pleasure on his hand. "Look at me." He told her but Sookie was too far gone in her pleasure. The only thing in her world was not words or sounds but only Eric's talented finger.

Eric stilled his fingers and pulled them from Sookie's body. A deep sound emanated from deep within Sookie. She didn't whine or cry out. She opened her eyes and looked at what used to be the object of her affection, which has now become the object of her frustration and she struck. Her teeth seemed to melt his skin and Eric's blood flooded into her mouth. Sookie's whole body shivered as she drew deeply from the wound she created. Eric roared at her suddenness and in a blink of an eye he had her pinned to the bathroom wall next to the sink. Sookie was barely able to register the change in her position when Eric thrust into her.

"Eric!" Sookie yelled as Eric's body rapidly pistoned within her. He seized her mouth and growled as he tasted his own blood in her mouth.

"Bite!" He commanded her. Sookie complied immediately and once again her teeth penetrated Eric's flesh. Eric's whole body jerked as he began pounding her into the wall. She knew that if she watched him in the mirror his body would be blurred with his vampire speed. Sookie cried out as her body began to tremble. Eric bit suddenly into Sookie's neck. Stars burst in her eyes as everything else seemed to fade away. The grounds trembled with the power that they'd created but neither were in a place to care.

Eric retracted his fangs and licked Sookie's wounds. He stumbled backward a bit before regaining his footing and taking them to the bed. Sookie pulled back the covers and Eric laid her trembling body in the covers. Neither spoke, they just held each other and enjoyed the intimacy of being together.

"I have news for you Lover." Eric finally said.

"Good or bad?" She couldn't help but ask.

"Wonderful of course." He replied. He kissed her hair. "Our compound is finished. We can move in tomorrow."

Sookie didn't speak for an entire minute before she turned over and propped herself up on Eric's chest so that she could look him in the eyes. "Do we have to go?"

"No but it would be better for us if we did." He told her. "As great as this place is, it is a bit out of the way. I've bought all the land around it but there are humans still too close for comfort. We will have more room to spread out in Shreveport."

"It feels so final if we go and I don't want to say goodbye to this place."

"You don't have to say goodbye to this place at all Sookie. We can come here anytime you want to, but this is the past and we need to look forward to the future. This house was here for us when we needed it to be and it will continue to be here for us in the future."

"I know it's just so hard to say goodbye."

"I know but remember that it's not just us that we are moving but everyone who works for us. Many of the families of the guards and servants have already moved onto the compound." He reminded her. "If we were to stay here we would be separating them again."

"And so many of them have come from so far." She said, casting her eyes to the side. She knew that it was best for everyone to leave. A lot of the personnel that has moved onto the compound were imported from all over their territories. She and Eric paid for all the moving expenses for those that wanted to move to Shreveport so that they wouldn't have to split up their families. She and Eric agreed to allow those that move to the gated community that retired from work to stay in their homes free of charge. Anyone that left under good conditions would be allowed to pay reasonable rent to stay in their homes. Any active worker would be able to stay in their homes free of charge as long as they are employed with the kingdom. Sookie took a deep breath because she already knew what she had to do. "We will go tomorrow."

"I will have everyone make preparations."

Again they fell into silence but Sookie knew that there was something more he wanted to say.

"Just go on and say it." She finally said.

"It's time for you to go to him." He said slowly. Sookie tensed in his arms and Eric began running his hand up and down her spine soothingly. "We have been back in Louisiana for six months. We've been in your home -_across the cemetery from him_- for almost five months. It's past time for you to finish this with Bill."

"But what if I can't heal him."

"What if you can and don't and something happens to him?" He countered. "Tell me honestly that you can live with that and we can go and you can save whatever this gift that Michael has given you for another time. It's time Sookie."

"Okay." Sookie agreed. She let out a loud breath.

"Now." Eric pressed.

"Now?" Sookie gasped. "Why now?"

"Because I won't go into this next phase of our lives in our new home with the cloud of Bill Compton hanging over us. It's cost us Michael already and I've let this fester longer than I should have. We are leaving tomorrow go and talk to Bill now. I will alert everyone so that they can know that we are moving tomorrow."

They lay there in bed for a bit longer while Sookie gathered herself. Eric poured his love and support into their bond and Sookie accepted it greedily. Ten minutes later they got up and dressed. Eric walked Sookie to the back door and gave her an encouraging kiss before watching her walk into the trees that would lead to the cemetery where her gran was buried and finally to the home of William Compton, Sookie's first love.

TBC

A/N: Hey everyone I hope that you enjoyed the chapter I just wanted to say a few things. I will be going into Sookie's job as Queen but right now there are more important things to show first.

As always I don't own anything that appear in any of the Charlaine Harris books but everything and everyone else is mine. BTW I just finished the new SS book which I thought was great. I thought it was much better than the last one but I won't say anymore because I don't want to let something slip for those that have not read it yet.

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	39. Chapter 39

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters that appear in any of the Charlaine Harris books. Everyone else belongs to me.

A/N: Hello again everyone. I would like to start by apologizing for the extended break in this story but real life seemed to have caught up with me. I kept writing bit by bit, hence the extra long chapter. I would like to offer it as my apology for the wait.

I also want to thank all my loyal fans out there. I was alerted by a stand up person that someone was taking my story and posting it as their own on other websites. I know that I've thanked you personally for the alert but I would like to thank you again Slave2Karma for letting me know.

Everyone knows that this is written for the entertainment of mutual fans for whatever series we write under. Most can appreciate the fact that this is done on an authors own time and without a dime so they keep the bitchfest to a minimum. It really is frustrating when someone rips off your work. Each author puts a part of themselves into what they write so for someone to come and steal that...its just a slap in the face. It makes you not want to continue the work...because as fun as writing is to do, it is work. I just want to urge anyone who sees a stolen story up to report it to the site and let the original author know whats going on. All it takes is a quick glance at the dates.

Okay now I apologize for taking so much of your time on my soap box when you've definitely waited long enough to read the next chapter. So without further ado. Enjoy...

ATL CH 39

She couldn't see anyone walking with her, but she could hear them as they followed. How she wished that she could order someone to do this for her. She almost opened her mouth to do just that but her eyes fell on Gran's grave and she never made a sound. She knelt at her Grandmother's final resting place like she does every time she comes into the cemetery.

"Hey Gran." She greeted. She placed a light kiss on the headstone before speaking again. "I've missed you so much. Yes I know I'm procrastinating. Yes I know I should act my age and position. Yes you raised me better than this." She paused for a moment to think on what her Gran would say about her putting off such an important talk for so long and she hung her head. "Okay fine Gran. I'm going." She kissed the head stone again and picked out a wilted flower before standing.

It was a small consolation but speaking as if Gran was still with her made Sookie feel better. She knew it sounded crazy but it was almost as if she could hear Gran's responses. With a new resolve she girded her loins and turned towards Bill's house. As she climbed the stairs she thought it odd that the guard placed there was no longer there, but then again Eric probably called ahead so that she and Bill could have privacy. He probably didn't want any distractions or interruptions so she could get this over with as soon as possible. She raised her hand to knock but as she stepped closer, she could tell that the door was ajar.

"Bill?" She called out but there was no answer. She pushed the door further open to find the house completely dark. "Bill, it's Sookie!" She yelled out again as she walked deeper into her ex's home. There was a thump upstairs that caught Sookie's attention.

She didn't call out again as she made her way up the stairs. There were several rooms upstairs but she already knew her destination. She walked slowly to towards the master bedroom where a low gurgle sounded. Sookie opened her mind to find two voids. She probed the voids to find the minds of two vampires, Bill and Maxwell Lee and Maxwell Lee's mind was becoming more and more faint. Sookie moved as fast as lightning as she burst into Bill's bedroom to find him pinning Maxwell Lee on his bed, his mouth sucking powerfully from Maxwell Lee's throat.

In less than a blink of an eye Sookie had Bill by the throat and threw him across the room. She knelt by Maxwell Lee's side. His skin was impossibly pale, almost translucent and his eyes were milky.

"Maxwell can you hear me?" She asked. He turned his head in the direction of her voice but his eyes didn't focus on her. "Guards!" She yelled out and in the next minute Anthony, Jamal and Noah were in the room with her.

"What's happened?" Jamal asked as he came closer to where Sookie held Maxwell on the bed. Anthony and Noah stood in front of Bill until they had further instruction.

"Take him. Make sure he drinks at least half a dozen packs of blood before giving him a donor." She ordered disregarding his questions entirely. "And please make sure that he doesn't kill anyone."

"Yes Mistress." Jamal said. He picked Maxwell up and tossed him too easily over his shoulder. "Anthony, Noah stay with the Queen."

"No, all of you go. I need to talk to Bill in private."

They all looked at her for a moment trying to decide if they'd heard her correctly but then they left without a word. It didn't matter because as soon as they hit the tree line in front of Bill's house Jamal ordered Noah and Anthony to stay close while he attended to Maxwell Lee, and that's what they did.

"What the hell is wrong with you Bill?" Sookie said as she rounded on her former love.

Bill didn't seem particularly disturbed or mad or anything really. He shrugged one shoulder and said "Got hungry." As if that explained everything.

"How could you attack him like that? There's plenty of blood in this house and if you wanted a live person then you know that one would have been provided for you."

"That would have been too much trouble for a simple meal." Bill replied bored. "Besides, we like our food to squirm."

Sookie's mouth dropped open in complete surprise and when she was able to find her voice again she couldn't manage anything beyond; "What the hell Bill?"  
Bill huffed and walked out of the room and Sookie stayed hot on his heel. "Oh don't give us that bleeding heart bullshit. It's not as if you give a shit about what we do, or anyone else that isn't your bastard of a husband."

"That's crap Bill and you know it." Sookie spat. "I always give my all for my friends. No we won't ever be together again but I still care about you and to say anything else is just BS."

"Yes you always give your all." He agreed. "That's why you left us here without a word for SIX MONTHS!"

Sookie's retort died on her lips and her eyes filled with silver tears. "Bill, I couldn't-"

"Well we're glad that you didn't." He coldly cut across her. "Your loss is our gain."

It was then that his plural wording registered to her. She'd only ever heard Gabriel speak like that and Bill certainly wasn't the type to do so. Her eyes narrowed and her voice became little more than a whisper. "Who are you?"

"Finally catching on are you?" Bill asked callously. "Blonds really are dumb."

"I asked you a question." Sookie stated a bit more forcefully.

"We are Legion for we are many." Bill answered solemnly before breaking out in laughter. "We are Bill...just darker, deadlier, and more vicious...Bill 2.0. After sitting and stewing for six months, waiting for you to keep your word. Waiting for you to give any word at all, we've decided we need a bit of a change."

"Bill that's just the darkness talking. I know your still in there." Sookie said.

"Of course he's in here. He's the one that held onto us tightly and with each passing day we sank deeper and deeper into every fiber of his being. He lost his faith in you and embraced the darkness that he willingly carried within. Now we are in agreement on one thing. Come hell or high water we will bring the entire kingdom down on your heads...you and your precious Viking."

"I can save you Bill."

"If that were true then you wouldn't have waited so long to do so." He countered. "We are no longer your fool Sookie. We are no longer your play thing to toy around as you wish."

"I never..."

"Oh of course not. Angelic, prissy, Sookie would never do such things to anyone. None of this is your fault. No one told you. You didn't know any better. You did the best you could with what you had. There was no way for you to stop Bill's decent into the darkness." He gave a theatrical sigh. "Are those lies sufficient in getting you to sleep or shall I keep going."

They stood facing one another. Sookie tried to keep her face expressionless but on the inside she was dying. For the good or the bad, Bill was right.

"I messed up. I know this but all I can do is apologize and make things right."

"Too little too late Queenie." Bill sneered. "You've had your chance, six months worth, and now I think it's time for the new and improved me to have a little fun."

He didn't wait for her reply but shot out the door. Sookie was hot on his trail. Bill made it to the bottom of the stairway when Sookie leapt at his form and tackled him like Jason had taught her when they were kids. They tumbled down the porch stairs and Bill threw Sookie off and went for the tree line.

"Stop him!" Sookie yelled as she hopped to her feet. Anthony and Noah jumped for Bill. He landed a hit to Anthony's sternum with the palm of his hand but Noah caught Bill's foot that tried to connect with his head. Noah held onto Bill's ankle and swung him around and threw him at Sookie who's eyes had turned solid silver.

Sookie prepared to grab Bill by the throat but just as her hand closed on him a black haze engulfed his left hand and he landed a solid punch to her jaw. Sookie landed a few feet in front of the porch steps. She hopped back up, prepared to chase Bill but a glaze clouded over his eyes and his fangs popped out. It was then that she felt something thick trickling down her cheek. She touched her hand to her face and when she looked at her fingers she saw that they were covered in silver ooze.

"Queen!" Noah yelled but he was already moving. He exploded in mid air and because of the boost he got from Sookie's tears he was able to move in front of his Queen before Bill was able to strike. Bill's neck felt as pliable as warm butter when Noah's powerful jaws closed around his neck. It took everything in him not to just rip his head off completely. He forced Bill onto his back and planted his massive paws on his chest to keep him from getting away. Bill scratched and thrashed but it felt like nothing more than a small puppy batting playfully at his hands.

Seeing her own blood had stunned Sookie more than anything had lately. She didn't even register's Noah's take down of Bill in front of her. Something strong but soft whipped across her other cheek and she looked up to see Noah holding Bill secure while his tail whipped back and forth, though it settled once he noticed her attention was on him. Sookie got to her feet when a loud growl came from just beyond the tree line. She recognized Anthony instantly, even in his wolf form. There was a blankness in his eyes that was never there before and again she looked at her bloody hand. She opened her mind to notice a lot of voids coming their way...fast.

Noah roared at Anthony, hoping to detour his advanced but it didn't work. Sookie all but jumped towards Bill and Noah and she pinned Bill down. "Noah there are a lot of vampires coming because of my blood." Noah looked back at her. Her gash was already closed but her silver blood was far thicker than her tears was drying on her face. Noah licked the blood away from her cheek. "Thanks but that won't matter now. My blood is in the air."

_'I won't leave you.'_ He thought to her clearly.

His eyes had turned a solid silver, a little darker than she knew her own to be but now was not the time. "Then get ready."

Anthony jumped for the trio but a lightning fast swat from Noah's silver paw knocked him out cold. No sooner had Anthony's unconscious form hit the ground, Eric landed next to Sookie and a still thrashing Bill.

"What have you done Sookie?" He demanded. "Why is your blood in the air?"

She never got the chance to say anything because at that moment hordes of vampires descended on Bill's lawn. Sookie immediately ripped open her side of the bond and her enclosure sprang forth securing her Bill and Noah inside. "Bring Anthony in." She commanded Noah. "They will rip him apart in their blood lust." Noah didn't argue but obeyed and bounded out of her protective shield. It was then that she finally looked down into Bill's empty soulless eyes. There was nothing but pain and hate and promise of revenge there. These were the eyes of a stranger and her heart lurched. She didn't look up again because nothing else really mattered.

Her heart felt as if it were set on fire and there was no way to contain it. "I'm so sorry Bill." She whispered. It was then that she saw a new emotion in his alien eyes...fear. Her lungs burned as all the air was forced out in a great whoosh. Bill snarled and growled and snapped futilely; Sookie's hold on him was iron tight. She looked into the face that she had once loved more than anything and she felt remorse for failing him in the worse way imaginable. She leaned in and kissed his forehead. "Forgive me." She whispered to him. His body stilled as if she had shocked him. She kissed his left cheek. "Forgive me." She repeated. She kissed his right cheek, his chin and the tip of his nose, each time asking for forgiveness.

"I'm so sorry Bill." She murmured before she closed the distance between their lips.

Bill was completely frozen. The darkness in him didn't know what to do when confronted with such a loving gesture and Bill was able to come back to his consciousness. He had willingly retreated and allowed the darkness within him to do what he had the strength to do no more...exist. Sookie's delicate kiss was like being pulled to shore by a life preserver that you didn't even know you wore and he responded. He moved his lips worshipfully along hers and she breathed life into him again. "Sookie." He breathed.

"It's in me Bill." Sookie said. "It was yours all along."

The burning in her chest had risen to her throat and she screamed. The darkness in Bill revolted and tried to seize control of him again. The darkness tried to push into every cell in Bill and it felt as if he were being doused in acid. He roared harshly but was abruptly cut off when Sookie crashed her lips back to his. The heat had to escape but not just anywhere, it wanted Bill.

Eric tried to keep a lid on his emotions as he watched Sookie make out with Bill. Ninety-nine percent of his focus was on shocking every vampire that approached enough to disable them but not enough to kill them; but that one percent watched at how Bill froze under his wife's lips before kissing her back with all the passion that he possessed. It was then that he knew that he would find a way to kill Bill Compton and no one would be able to pin it on him. He knew that the gift would be shared by a kiss but they were sharing nothing. It was just kissing and he hated it. He almost lost his control and killed a vampire but he was old enough to have more control than that.

He saw something glowing within Sookie. Unlike her shield it wasn't glowing silver but pure white. Sookie leaned away from Bill and screamed, it was all Eric could do not to go to her, and a moment later Bill roared. Sookie crashed her lips back to Bill's. Eric knew that this was it. This wasn't so much a kiss as Sookie welding her mouth to Bill's, and even then it wasn't enough to block the light that was shining from within. For a moment their lips broke apart and Eric could see the pure light going from Sookie's mouth into Bill's.

Suddenly both Sookie and Bill were lifted from the ground. There was no one there to anchor either of them and they rose above the yard and home. Eric pushed his shield out but no longer threw bolts at anyone; he just positioned himself directly below his wife. The object of their hunger was in the air and everyone stopped to look up at her.

Sookie's fingers pressed into Bill's cheeks but she was powerless to do anything else she couldn't move, couldn't think, couldn't do anything except scream out the fiery pain from her throat. The darkness within Bill was drawn to the light like a moth to a flame and the light sought out the darkness, pulling it in until there was a transfer going on. The light filled Bill while the darkness filled Sookie, probing every part of her trying to find the best way to take up root within her. When the light had filled every part of Bill and pushed out every bit of darkness he possessed, Bill's head jerked back as if someone had hit him.

"Sookie." He managed to breathe before going limp and falling through her silver shield to the Earth below.

Eric jumped into the air and caught Bill with ease. He was unconscious but seemingly unharmed. He shifted Bill over his shoulder and rose into the air until he was level with Sookie's writhing body. He didn't know what was going on with her. He tried to go to her but her shield wouldn't let him pass.

"Sookie, let me in." He half ordered and half pleaded.

She didn't seem to hear him but her shield began to blink in and out before it was just gone and it was just Sookie hanging in the air. The darkness inside was trying to make her home but she was fighting it. She couldn't fight the evil inside and maintain her shield outside of her either. She hung in the air a moment longer before she too began to fall. Eric scooped her up easily. He began pouring his own power into Sookie, hoping that it gave her strength to do whatever it was she was trying to do. Sookie's body gave a giant lurch and Eric almost dropped her. Her body bowed back and she wailed like Eric had never heard before.

Out of her mouth came a dark mist and solid black bees. It all spilled forth from Sookie's mouth like water from a faucet. Eric poured more and more of his own power into their bond until his own shield began to blink and die away also. He was glad that flying was his natural talent and not something given to him through their bond because if it were they would be plummeting back to the ground with the blood thirsty vampires. Sookie ate his power like an energy drink and it pushed her past a wall of fatigue. She soaked in Eric's power from their bond and expelled all the darkness that was looking to make her its new home. A minute later the darkness disappeared and Sookie's body went limp in his arms.

There was no question on what he had to do. He yelled for Noah to run but didn't look back to see if the silver wolf obeyed him. With both Bill's unconscious form over his shoulder and Sookie's limp body in his arms, Eric flew them to their new home in the Shreveport compound. He dropped Bill off first in the safe room, which was more like an apartment over the garage that could only be entered and exited by code. Since Bill didn't have the code he would be stuck until Eric let him out. Eric double checked the refrigerator to make sure that it was stocked with both blood packs and synthetic blood. When he was satisfied he entered in the code to leave and sealed Bill into his new temporary resting place.

This wasn't how Eric hoped Sookie's entrance would be made into their new home but he would adapt and try to make her exploration of the home that much better. He went into the safe room that was built and magically fortified in the basement of the home. He deposited Sookie on the bed before he went to a hidden security pad and issued a code orange lock down. He had no idea if the vampires would follow Sookie or if they would just keep coming to the last place her blood appeared so he was going to go with the better safe than sorry approach.

He walked over to the bed and began to undress Sookie. He couldn't understand what the hell happened. All she was supposed to do was talk to Bill and heal him. How could she have spilled her blood? It was obvious that they had gotten into a fight, but he really didn't want to think that she was naive enough not to have fortified herself against him after what happened in Las Vegas. He took a look at his naked wife's peaceful face and knew instantly that that's exactly what happened. She would never want to see Bill as the threat that he obviously was. He didn't want to think about that...or the kiss he'd witnessed...or the fact that he saved Bill instead of killing him when he had the best opportunity to come out blameless in the situation. What the hell was he thinking? He pushed it all aside for now and scooped Sookie's body up so that he could pull back the covers and tuck her in. When she was in the bed he shed his own clothes and climbed in bed with her.

Eric snuggled around Sookie for a few hours before he got up and grabbed his laptop and cell phone. He settled back into the bed before he began to work. Not so long ago he would have been able to blow off work and just enjoyed holding Sookie while she slept...or better yet finding ways to rouse her from her sleep; but he was King now and he had to start acting like it. He had security teams sent over to the Bon Temps home to oversee the dispersal of the vampires. It was interesting to learn that it wasn't only vampires that had been drawn to the scent of Sookie's blood, but Were's too. He sent a message to Jamal to let him know where he and Sookie were. Jamal expressed his relief and assured Eric that he would oversee the workers transfer over to the compound. Apparently Noah had gotten Anthony out of dodge but was still in wolf form. Jamal made a point to inform Eric about Noah's new eyes though neither knew what caused it and Noah wasn't in a position to tell either what happened.

Pam had called just as she touched down in Shreveport again. She had declined the job but agreed to continue overseeing Nevada until Eric could find someone else to do it on a more permanent basis. He reduced the security alert to a code yellow so that his guards could stand down. He used his laptop to check in on some of his business investments and one by one he took calls from his Sheriffs with their weekly check in. Sookie hadn't moved a muscle by the time the sun rose. Eric wrote her a short note before letting the sun take him for the day. Sookie really was a lot of trouble.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Sookie's mind was groggy when she woke. The only thing that computed in her mind was that she was comfortable. She heard voices talking lowly but couldn't make out their words. She turned her head towards the sounds but still only picked up bits and pieces before someone sat down next to her. Something soft ran across her face and she groaned.

"She's waking." Eric said with relief clear in his voice. Sookie moaned again and turned her head towards his hand.

"I told you she would." Michael replied. "She was in no danger."

"Then what happened?" Eric asked.

"The gift she gave Bill was completely pure and it was supposed to be given as such. When I kissed her and gave her the gift, it was done with nothing but love and devotion and joy in my heart. When she passed it to Bill there was uncertainty. There was regret. There was self-loathing and self-doubt. The gift reacted to that. It couldn't pass with all those negative emotions so it purged. I would imagine that she felt as if she was on fire.

"There shouldn't have been any side effects from giving the gift. Bill may or may not have been out of it for a time but she should have been perfectly fine. She hurt herself." Eric nodded as he continued to caress Sookie's face. A dark look flickered across his face and her eyes fluttered but didn't open yet. "She is waking. I should go."

"You still won't say her name?" Eric asked.

"Sookie."

"That's not what you know her by." Eric continued.

"She's not Seraphim." Michael said. His face was straight but his eyes held sadness and regret. "I can accept that."

"Give her time. So much has happened in so little time." Eric told his new brother. "If I have learned anything in my thousand years, it's that change isn't always easy for humans to cope with."

"She's not human." Michael pointed out. "She never has been."

"Her packaging his." Eric countered. "True that she's an eighth Fae, but the majority of her packaging is human."

"Says who?" He asked.

"Eric." Sookie moaned before either could continue their debate.

"I'm here Lover." Eric told her, and she sighed.

"Peace with you both." Michael said before disappearing before Eric could try to stop him again.

Sookie opened her eyes only to be lost in an ocean of the most startling blue. Little gold rafts floated through the powerful ocean. There was power there, more than that, home was there.

"Welcome back." Eric greeted her.

"Thank you." Sookie smiled. "Where is Bill?"

"He's fine." He quickly assured her. "He rose last night perfectly fine."

"Last night?"

"You gifted Bill the night before last. Bill rose last night."

"Is he...uh, is he okay?"

"He's perfectly fine. How are you?"

She took a moment to take stock before she answered. "Just a little antsy."

"Antsy?"

"Uh yea...I need a human moment."

Eric laughed as he helped her stand and pointed out the bathroom door. She wobbled a bit but insisted she was okay and could make it to the restroom just fine on her own. He took the chance to text Bill and Pam to tell them she was awake. He knew that Sookie would want to see for herself that Bill was fine. The truth was that he was more than fine. He didn't even bug Eric nearly as much as usual. He didn't seem all dark and broody for once in his existence. For the first time since Eric knew him Bill actually seemed alright. Hell he even had a sense of humor. Eric had searched his mind since he woke to find that he's felt better than before he was turned. He monitored his mind as he brought up Sookie and finally saw the acceptance of her no longer being with him. Eric would never admit it to anyone, not even Sookie, but Bill Compton was alright.

He knew that Sookie would be anxious to see Pam. She had been gone for two weeks when everything went down with Sookie and Bill and was due back any day. She'd arrived the night before with bags of new clothes to add to Sookie's collection. Eric was truly surprised that he didn't have to lay down the law with Pam buying Sookie clothes but she hadn't made a fuss about her wardrobe being replaced and Eric didn't want to rock the boat. Besides Pam loved having a personal Barbie doll and he didn't see any reason to deprive his child of her fun. She liked styling Sookie and Eric didn't have a problem because she made sure to keep Sookie in mind with all her purchases. Pam had decided not to take the job of watching over Nevada so Eric was looking for a replacement. She still traveled between the states while Eric was looking for a replacement.

"Pam is back." Eric told her.

"When did she get in?" Sookie asked. "Is she here?"

"Yes she's here, she's upstairs with Bill." He said, loving the way that she beamed at the mention of Pam's name. He loved how close they were. "If you dress we can go up to see her."

Sookie dove back into the bathroom to take a quick shower. Eric had stocked it with everything she loved. By the time she came out she felt more like herself. She wrapped a towel around herself before stepping back into the room. She smiled as she saw that Eric had laid out a simple pale yellow sundress with sunflowers around the edges. On the floor next to the bed he put a pair of white flip-flops with a large sunflower on top of the straps. Eric watched as Sookie looked over his selection and let out a small breath of relief when she smiled at him in approval. She went back into the bathroom for a minute and returned with a jar in her hand. She didn't even try to cover herself as she walked back over to the bed and let her towel fall to the floor. She began to rub what turned out to be her favorite body butter everywhere she could reach, then tortured Eric by having him rub it on all the places she couldn't. She slipped on simple white cotton bra and panties that Eric had also left out for her (he loved the innocent look) before putting on her sundress. When she was dressed she felt right as rain, even forgoing any makeup.

When she was ready Eric guided Sookie through the secret passages until they finally stepped out of a large painting into an unfamiliar room. She looked around in fascination. "I will take you on a tour later or you can explore it all tomorrow in the daytime." Eric offered.

"Or you could take me on a tour later and then I will explore it tomorrow to see everything in the daylight."

He happily agreed with a smirk before leading her downstairs and into the living room where both Pam and Bill were seated talking. They turned to the door at the same time when Eric and Sookie appeared. Pam got to her feet and wrapped Sookie in a tight hug before she'd even had the chance to open her mouth.

"Gotta breathe Pam." Sookie gasped.

Pam abruptly released her but kept her hands on Sookie's shoulders. "I'm glad to see you awake. Eric is no fun when he frets over you. He turns into such a girl."

"Pam!"

"What?" She asked innocently but Eric glared. "Fine I won't say anything else." She leaned towards Sookie and whispered. "Between you and me, if my Master had knickers, they'd be severely twisted."

"So help me Pam I will burn your spring collection of Gucci." Eric threatened.

Pam actually paled and stepped back from Sookie, who was laughing loudly. "You wouldn't."

"Do you want to try me?" He asked. Pam pouted and Eric smirked triumphantly. "I thought not."

"That's a low blow Eric." Sookie said when she was finally able to speak again. "You should know not to threaten a girl's wardrobe."

"What I 'know' is to aim a threat exactly where it would do the most good."

"Well you'd save more time by just setting your money on fire because I would just replace what she lost."

"See I always knew I liked you better Sookie." Pam declared making Eric roll his eyes. "How are you really though?"

"I'm fine Pam." Sookie assured her. "I just feel as if I had a good night's sleep."

"Yeah vampire style since Eric wasn't able to wake you."

"Well if she hangs with vampires, rules vampires, and marries a vampire..."

"Then it's definitely a human girl who is a danger magnet." Bill declared, speaking for the first time.

"Bill." Sookie breathed as she took him in. As odd as it sounded he didn't seem as pale as usual. She never realized how strained his face was until he saw how relaxed it was now. His brown eyes were warm and stress free. His back was straight and he stood with his head held high. He hadn't said anything more about him but there was an air of confidence about him. It reminded her of Eric a little because he didn't have to yell, argue, or intimidate; the confidence was just there and it came from his every pore. There was light shining from within him and all darkness had been erased. Bill was at peace.

"Queen Sookie." Bill bowed respectfully to her. "I thank you for your magnificent gift. There are no words to describe what it means to me."

"Stop that Bill." She snipped.

"Of course."

"You're okay?"

Bill laughed. It was light and inviting and she felt as if she had never heard him laugh before. "I would say that I am slightly better than okay. I would even venture to say that I am wonderful."

Sookie studied him for a moment. She even opened her mind to him and found no deceit. He was honest to goodness doing wonderfully and she let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding. She launched herself into his arms and a moment later he wrapped his arms around her shaking body, trying to soothe her.

"I'm so sorry Bill. It's my fault that I let you get so bad. I broke my promise. I should have come to you the night we came back from Las Vegas but I was stupid. I am so so so so very sorry Bill."

"Shush Sookie." Bill tried to soothe her. He could see the fire burn in Eric's eyes before he turned his head away and the smirk on Pam's face as she watched her Master. There was no doubt to Bill that Pam would be teasing Eric about his jealousy. He wondered how Sookie would react to it through their bond but she gave him no notice of it as she cried in his arms. "There's no use crying over spilled milk. What matters is that you did come. You did save me from the darkness. You did keep your word...just a little later than intended." Sookie began to say something else but only a choked sob came from her lips and Bill shushed her again. "You saved me and I will forever be indebted to you."

"I don't want your debt." Sookie said as she finally pulled back enough from Bill to look in his eyes. She didn't mean to attack him so suddenly but her guilt had gotten the best of her. She wouldn't blame him if he never forgave her, it was the least she deserved.

"I know, and that's why you have it." Bill told her. "But if you need to hear the words then I forgive you...even though there's nothing for me to forgive."

"Aw, I am so glad I stayed for this Kodak moment." Pam snarked. "My heart is all aflutter."

"Shut it Pam." Sookie said though she couldn't keep the smile off of her face.

"Yes Mistress." Pam bowed with all the attitude and sarcasm she possessed.

"Don't call me that!"

"Yes my Queen."

"Don't call me that either."

"Of course my lovely reason for being." Pam replied. She dramatically threw her head to the side and touched her forearm to her forehead. "My sole purpose to exist."

Sookie glared at her friend before being struck for inspiration. "Just for that if Eric does decide to burn your clothes, I think I will add your shoes to the pyre." Pam whipped her head around at lightning speed. "Hell I may even throw in a credit card or two."

Pam pouted and Eric laughed. "Welcome to the dark side Lover."

Sookie giggled and kissed him lightly. "Thank you. I just may visit for a while." Everyone laughed again and even Pam's lips twitched. "Come on let's sit down. Pam you can tell me about your trip and Bill you can tell me about your plans...if you have any that is."

"You need to eat Lover." Eric told her. "You haven't eaten in more than a day."

"Okay so let's go to the kitchen and I will fix me something to eat and y'all can get some bloods."

Eric led Sookie to the kitchen where she had to just stop and stare. Eric had the wet dream of all kitchens. The walls were golden with a sponged amber finish. It was warm and inviting. There were marbled countertops and stone floors and everything she could possibly desire and a few things that she'd never thought to put in a kitchen. The authentic fire heated pizza oven was a prime example. She stepped forward to get a better look at the microwave drawer and the refrigerator drawer that were stainless steel just like the wine cooler. She walked around until she came to the stove, the Viking range. It was then that she realized all the appliances were Viking. She had to smile at her husband's sense of humor.

"I had Susan stock all your favorite foods." Eric said as he, Bill, and Pam moved to the eat-in table to sit. "I told her to feel free to add anything else she would or thought you would need."

"Thank you Eric!" Sookie all but danced over to where Eric sat and hopped in his lap. "This is more than I could have ever asked for. Hell, this is my dream kitchen's wet dream." Sookie blushed as soon as the words slipped through her mouth and everyone erupted in laughter. She didn't know what to say after that and everyone else was laughing so hard at her so she kissed Eric's cheek and hopped off his lap.

The three vampires watched as Sookie darted from place to place pulling different ingredients from the refrigerator and cabinets all the while muttering her approval of Susan's placement of everything. She threw a chicken breast and some asparagus on the griddle while she began putting a small salad together. She paused to turn the chicken and asparagus over before going back to season her salad. She shook a bit on the asparagus before putting it back in the cabinet. When the chicken and asparagus were done she took them off the hot griddle and put them on a plate. Susan had left a pitcher of sweet tea and lemonade in the refrigerator so Sookie grabbed the lemonade and poured herself a big glass of it. When she was putting the pitcher back into the refrigerator she spotted a large plastic container of fresh fruit that was cut into bite sized pieces. She pulled it out and put a few pieces of everything in a bowl before putting the container back in the ice box.

Sookie sat the fruit back in the refrigerator and carried the chicken and asparagus over to where her salad and fresh fruit chunks sat on the island. She cut the chicken into strips and tossed them into her salad. She grabbed her fork and sat it in her salad bowl before picking it up. She grabbed her drink before she realized that she needed more hands. Before she could open her mouth to ask or take a step of her first trip Eric was there next to her.

"Need more hands Lover?" He asked.

"One or two." She smiled.

Eric sat the fruit and asparagus next to Sookie and sat next to her again. She looked around and saw that everyone was looking at her. "Are y'all going to eat or watch me?"

"Three at once Sookie?" Pam asked in mock surprise. "My my, either you're very eager or Eric has been teaching you a few tricks that he has neglected to tell me about."

Eric growled and Sookie threw her a dirty look. "Pam go get y'all some True Blood's so that I won't be eating alone before I decide to shave a strip down the center of your head five minutes before you wake for the evening. I know for a fact that it wouldn't grow back until the next morning."

"And I will make sure you're the attraction on the throne at Fangtasia that night." Eric added, looking suddenly delighted. He winked at Sookie. "Every night you continue to delight me."

"Glad to help honey." Sookie replied before she dug into her salad. Pam came back to the table and handed out the bloods to everyone, though when she sat back down she scooted her chair a bit further away from Sookie and eyed her speculatively. Sookie smiled at her innocently and Pam moved a bit further away. Bill shook his head and Eric laughed. "So Pam, tell me about your latest trip to Nevada." Sookie said finally to distract everyone.

"It was the same old same old." Pam said with a shrug. "Ashton is still your biggest fan and is contemplating putting up a website devoted to your all around greatness. I fought him while there. He's still faster than a vampire should be, though not overtly so. He has nothing on Noah."

"So his reports are accurate and nothing has diminished?" Eric asked.

"His reports are accurate." Pam agreed with a nod.

"Okay, so maybe it's the long sleep I had but can someone remind me why exactly Pam has to fight Ashton every time she goes to Nevada?"

"Because besides myself and Noah, Pam is the only person that has had your tears. Noah is your guard and I am King therefore Pam is the only one free to fight Ashton and see exactly how much strength and speed he has gained from you. She's had more than he so she cannot be overwhelmed and she will fight him multiple times so that she can accurately gauge his strength and not be fooled if he tries to hold back on her." Eric said. "Pam is still feeling every effect that your tears have ever had on her. She is faster than a normal vampire. She is stronger. Her senses are even more heightened." The last part he continued in his mind because Bill was there. _'Not to mention that the only reason why she still goes to bed during the day is that my order to do so unless there's an emergency is still in effect. She's easier to wake than I was in Rhodes. I would equate her to a heavy sleeping human, not a dead for the day vampire.'_

_'My you two are awfully busy.'_ She noted silently before speaking out loud. "Okay I understand that...well all except the part about Ashton wanting to devote a website to me. That's a bit creepy."

"And incidentally that comment leads me to an interesting conversation I had before Bill here arrived to keep me company in your stead."

"Oh?" Eric said nonchalantly although Sookie knew that Pam had his full attention. The twinkle in her eye told Sookie that Pam knew that as well.

"The Sheriff called and let me know of an..._interesting_ development." She paused for dramatic effect but spoke again before Eric could snap at her. "It seems he got a tip off for who the new face of Las Vegas will be."

"What do you mean 'the new face of Las Vegas'?" Sookie asked between bites.

"It's a contest held in Vegas looking for that perfect man or woman who will star in print and television ads directed in tourism. The idea is that this irresistible man or woman is the person who's waiting for 'you' when you choose to vacation in Las Vegas."

Sookie laughed and coughed, Eric offered Sookie her glass of lemonade. "Please Pam, tell me that you did not win that contest." She said between taking sips of her drink. "Should I be calling you Miss Las Vegas now?"

"No I should be calling you that." Pam replied with a sly smile.

Sookie spit her mouth full of lemonade out and if Bill wasn't a vampire he would have gotten a new facial. "WHAT!" Sookie practically yelled.

Pam tisked at her and shook her head in mock reproach. "Is that any way for a spokeswoman to act?"

Sookie jumped up and grabbed some paper towels and began mopping up the table. "Sorry Bill." She apologized. He only smirked and nodded at her as he retook his chair but she could see his amusement dancing in his brown eyes.

"Explain now Pam." Eric ordered. Sookie tried not to focus on the amusement that came through their bond.

Pam flitted out of the kitchen and came back a minute later. "May I present Ms. Caroline Spellman the new face of Las Vegas." She said dramatically before she put a glossed eight by ten on the table between Eric and Sookie.

It was definitely Sookie. Her hair was dancing around her head as if an air machine was blowing. She had a devilish smirk on her face. She seemed to be looking over her shoulder directly at the camera that took the picture even though her eyes were still covered by her Chloe shades. The profiles of her guards had been removed along with her simple sundress. It was replaced with a cobalt evening number that looked as if it were painted on her. Besides her dress they seemed to have left her alone. She recognized it instantly from when they had left the spa. She had thought she would have a little fun with the gawkers, of course a second later she was lost in a sea of flashes. There were words printed above her head and across the bottom of the picture. At the top it read: _The SIN has been put back in Sin City._ Across the bottom the words were framed as her in quotation of a four word question, _"Won't you join me?"_

Eric took the picture and studied it closely as Sookie sat there in stunned silence. "Who's work is this?" He asked as he looked it over.

"The Sharper & Mac Ad Agency is responsible for the ads that go out. It is an undertaking of the city also which is how we caught wind of it. I have a complete portfolio of what is planned in my briefcase." Pam replied as she sat out four other pictures each with a different phrase or logo on them. "These are the first five that will go into print, though the first one will be pushed the hardest. That one will be on several billboards."

"How can they do this without my permission?" Sookie asked finally getting a bit peeved. "I think I would have remembered signing on to be the new face of Las Vegas."

Pam's smile turned calculating, it was a face Sookie now associated when Pam was anticipating being able to cause someone some type of physical harm. "Of course you did not." Pam agreed innocently. "Caroline Spellman did."

"This is crap." Sookie said, barely able to keep herself from stomping her foot. "Eric please tell me that we can do something about this."

"There's always something we can do Lover. Pam do we own Sharper & Mac?" Eric asked Pam as he looked over the other shots.

"No we don't."

"I want us to by sundown tomorrow, do whatever it takes." Eric told her. He then turned to Sookie and looked at her in a very calculating way that she wasn't sure she liked. "I think the bigger question would be, would you mind becoming the face of Las Vegas? It is a good idea, mind you that I would have to go over the proposals and projections still; but being a spokeswoman would be good for our kingdom."

"You can't be serious Eric." Sookie said shaking her head. "I can't be the face of Las Vegas!"

"Why not?" He asked. "I realize it wasn't our idea but it isn't a bad idea."

"Why not?" Sookie replied incredulously. "How about because Evelyn and I are already undertaking several projects already?"

"All of which are still months away." He pointed out. "This is something you can sink your teeth into immediately. The company has already laid the ground work for you so neither of you will have to worry about trying to put something together. All you have to do is take a few pictures and say a few lines." He paused to let his words sink in a bit. "You can keep the revenue from the endorsers to put towards your projects..."

Sookie glared at him. She didn't need the money because she could just pull the money from the states or from her and Eric's private accounts for her projects but she knew he was playing dirty. He knew that she would want to try and pay for some of her projects on her own. True they both agreed that they would be money makers, she still was a bit hesitant in investing the states money just in case. If she were the Vegas spokeswoman then she the revenue that Eric was promising her was her paycheck for doing so. She knew that Eric would insist on her getting paid for it even if she would have done it for free. Besides, she trusted Eric. He thought that this was a great idea even before looking at the paperwork behind it. He had faith that she would be a good face for the campaign. If that were true then there would be one thing that would make it an even bigger success.

"I will do it on once condition." Sookie said, smirking at Eric's victorious face. "I will do it on the condition that I won't do it alone. We will be the faces of Las Vegas together Eric." She could tell just by the look on his face that he was about to respond in the negative but she spoke before he could get anything out. "That's my term Eric take it or leave it. Besides, it's not as if you are camera shy; and it will be a good way to integrate ourselves into a public light. The more attention we can pull the bigger names will follow."

"You've been hanging out will Eric for too long." Pam laughed.

Sookie just shrugged and waited on Eric's answer. "You can't spend time around a mind like Eric's and _not_ pick up something."

"You drive a hard bargain my Queen." Eric assented. "I guess I will have to take my payment from you later."

Sookie smiled coyly. "But I have no money sir."

"Well then we will just have to come up with something else then won't we?" He smoldered at her and Sookie all but turned to a pile of goo.

"Oh my goodness, I think I just threw up a little bit." Pam's snark broke through their beginnings of foreplay.

"Leave all the paperwork here and I will be looking for a confirmation on our acquisition as soon as possible. You are dismissed Pam."

"But I haven't even gotten around to asking Sookie to come into the club tomorrow." Pam whined like a five year old that had been sent to bed early.

"Then I would suggest you getting off my nerve and onto asking Sookie whatever it is you want before you are grounded...literally."

If Sookie didn't know any better she would have sworn that she heard Pam actually gulp at the prospect. She didn't see the big deal of Pam being sent to her room...especially when she's the one who probably designed it; or her being confined to her home. Sookie had been to Pam's home and it was really nothing to sneeze at. She didn't see reason for Pam's reaction to being threatened with being grounded...literally. It was like a light bulb went off. Oh. _Oh!_

"You wouldn't." She told Eric but she wasn't sure if it was more of a statement or a question.

He just shrugged. "I've done it before and I'm sure I will be doing it again." Then he smiled. "Pam hates sleeping nude in the ground. _'You have no idea how long it takes to wash the dirt away from all the crevices!'_" He imitated Pam. "_'And have you seen my hair? It takes days just to get the shine back to my usual standards.'_" Eric shook his head and laughed at his child some more.

"I could imagine." Sookie replied thoughtfully. "Why would she have to sleep in the ground naked?"

"I always give her a choice between nudity and an outfit of my choosing and she always chooses nudity."

"Because he would pick my favorite outfit and shoes." Pam defended her choices. "I can wash away the dirt and grime from my body but some clothes were not made to withstand such treatment. Besides, I wouldn't put it past my dear master to water the ground I slept in to make sure that my clothes get completely ruined."

Sookie looked between the two blue eyed blonds and then caught the eye of Bill. He gave a half shrug and she shook her head. "I swear you two are more like human teenage children than a thousand year old Viking and is centuries old vampire child."

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me." Pam sing songed and then stopped, seemingly to think on what she said. "Well sticks and stones won't break my bones actually."

"But a well place stake would kill you." Sookie pointed out.

Pam opened her mouth to respond before Eric cut across her. "Didn't you want to ask Sookie to come to the club?"

Pam had a quick debate before deciding against pushing her luck. "Oh yes my telepathic friend. You must come to the club tomorrow night."

"I don't think so Pam. I'm not really in a bar kind of mood." Sookie tried to politely decline.

"But you haven't been there in forever and we should spend more time together if we are going to bond."

"Pam you are one of my best friends." Sookie pointed out. "I think we are as bonded as we could get."

"Oh come on Sookie when do I ever ask you for anything?"

"Never, you just do as you wish no matter what people say."

"See, so it should mean something that I'm asking you to come out and have fun with me instead of just kidnapping you."

"First off, you wouldn't dare try to kidnap me. Secondly, I would like to see you try it. Thirdly, I, uh was planning on going back to Bon Temps tomorrow and pick up a few of Gran's knick knacks that I wanted to keep close by."

Pam's entire demeanor changed without a moment's notice and her eyes went from warm and playful to glacial before a second could tick by. She stood stiffly from the table. "Fine, go play with your shifter then. Pamela Childs begs for no one and you've made it obvious that you would rather spend your time away from me." Sookie opened her mouth to say something because that wasn't it at all but Pam flitted around her to Eric's side. "Is there anything else Master?"

"No Pam, that is all."

"Then I shall go and get a start on my tasks before this night grows any later."

"Keep me posted." Eric told her. Pam nodded and flitted out the kitchen.

"Pam." Sookie called as she got up from her chair. She found Pam almost at the door with her briefcase in hand. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"You have to have feelings in order for someone to hurt them Sookie." Pam told her.

Sookie wasn't quite sure what to do with that statement so she just ignored it. "I do like spending time with you Pam. I just don't like being around all those harsh thoughts of the fangbangers at Fangtasia."

"I understand Sookie." Pam assured her in an emotionless tone. "I know it's hard for you to be around all those jealous thoughts because you don't have shields or anything to help keep the thoughts away. I also know how much of an effort it is you have to put into doing just that because you have no real power behind you that has made that sort of thing easier than batting an eye. It was wrong of me to ask you to subject yourself to such conditions in order to just to have a little time in our busy schedules to laugh and maybe dance a bit away from the realities of our positions. You are completely right. I am due to head to New Orleans and then Arkansas in a few days, I guess my head isn't on right. Don't worry your precious little head on it _Mistress_."

Before Sookie could even get a word in Pam disappeared into the night. Sookie stood there looking out down the unfamiliar street, looking at the unfamiliar houses before finally closing the front door. She felt solitary and didn't even check her mind and bond to see what she already knew was there, nothing. Of course both Eric and Bill would have heard the entire exchange between her and Pam and she knew Eric was probably upset with her. Bill's sympathetic look and Eric's furious look cemented that they had heard everything.

"Fix it." Eric ordered. He didn't ask, he ordered her.

"Naw really?" Sookie snapped back. Eric growled lowly before darting from the room. She knew he wasn't afraid of her so she was going with the theory that he was leaving before he said or did something unforgivable out of anger. She turned to Bill after a moment and let out a breath that she didn't realize she was holding. "If I were you, I would leave before I drive you away too."

Bill chuckled a bit. "Well you do know how to clear a room."

Sookie cracked a smile against her will. "That's an understatement. I keep on fucking up and I don't know how to stop. I'm gonna drive everyone away from me until I'm forced to buy twelve cats just to keep me company."

"I think there's a law against owning more than seven in a single dwelling." Bill pointed out.

"Oh great, now I have to drive away some of my cats before I even get them." Sookie all but wailed as her eyes began to fill with silver tears.

Bill sighed and then moved into the chair that Eric had vacated in his anger. "I'm not sure of what all has been going on but I can't imagine you driving everyone away."

"This, what you've just witnessed, is what has been going on. I keep messing up at every turn and I know that Eric is going to get sick of it, and me, and just leave."

Bill rolled his eyes at the thought of Eric giving her up so easily and he told her so. "Hell if I couldn't get him to leave you alone while we were dating, he certainly isn't going anywhere just because you've spoken out of turn a time or two." Sookie opened her mouth to protest but Bill shushed her. "Now, I'm not sure what's been going on with you but if this is the example that you are using then I think your problems could be solve with you just taking a step back and thinking before you talk. You've been hot tempered since the day I've met you but you've always been warm and inviting. Between you and me I've never seen Pam beg before and it was an interesting experience; and trust me that was what she was doing.

"Sookie, I'm not telling you to change. I'm just telling you to be the you you've always been. You have a gift of telepathy, that now extends to vampires, would it kill you to listen in to find what is motivating a person to act like you would for a human or shifter? I'm sure you could have found out the reasons why Pam wanted to spend time with you in more detail than she would ever say out loud."

"I know Bill." Sookie said wiping her eyes on an extra paper towel she brought over but never used. "How do I fix this with Pam?"

"You're on your own with that one." Bill laughed abruptly. "I don't even pretend to understand her. But I will tell you not to let it fester and grow bigger."

"I said I was sorry for letting you get so bad." Sookie said as she wiped more tears away.

"I know but a painful reminder is better than taking a chance on you repeating your mistake." Bill said. "And don't worry about Eric. He will come around when you've reconciled with Pam."

She wished she was as confident as Bill was but it just hit her as wrong somehow. There was something there in how Eric felt when she messed up but she didn't want to look very hard into it because she couldn't stand to know that whatever it was, was directed at her. So again she pushed it aside to think about later. Maybe Bill would be right and Eric will come around when she made things right with Pam. She knew just showing up at the club wouldn't be enough for her and Pam already had everything so she couldn't buy her anything. What could she get for Pam? She could ask Eric but that somehow felt like cheating. She was about to bounce an idea off Bill when she was struck by how odd it was for her to be having the present conversation with Bill in the first place.

"Since when do you give me advice on how to make things right with Eric and Pam?"

He shrugged. "I can't describe to you what it felt like to embrace the darkness." His entire frame shuddered and she regretted her question. She opened her mouth to tell him never mind but he held up a hand to silence her. "No, it's okay. It's just that the experience is indescribable for me to even try to express. The gift you gave me, I'm not sure what it was but it felt like love and warmth and belonging. I felt like I had found home when I didn't realize I was even looking for it. I feel peace and oneness with my being. I can see that you have that with Eric, and I am okay with that. I would never to wish the darkness on my worst enemy and I would never want to be the reason you're cast out of your personal light. You're content and happy and I am content and happy for you."

Sookie didn't respond for a few minutes and Bill gave her time to digest all that he'd told her. When she finally had she looked him in the eyes and gave him a beatific smile. "Thank you Bill. All I've wanted was for you to be okay."

"For the first time in a long while I can say that I am." Sookie smiled again at him and he couldn't help but return it. "I do have some news for you though."

"Oh?"

"Yes, an update to my database is long overdue, especially with the takeover and everything. So I will be traveling to Nevada to meet with new arrivals and to also update the existing."

Sookie wanted to ask him who's idea this had been because she wouldn't put it past Eric to try to get rid of Bill but she could see from the twinkle of excitement in his eye that this was all Bill's idea. So she kept her happy face on. Now that she knew that he was better than his old self she found it easier to be around him and to be happy for him without thinking about an ulterior motive in the back of her mind. "When do you leave?"

"I will go with Pam to New Orleans and then to Arkansas because more and more vampires have been relocating. When Pam returns to Shreveport I will fly on to Nevada."

"How do you feel about Nevada as a whole?" Sookie asked and hoped she only sounded curious.

"I have nothing against it." Bill finally said after taking a moment to think. "I haven't spent much time there in over fifty years. So I can't say anything about the new Vegas but perhaps this trip there will be time for exploration."

"I hope so." Sookie said.

"Well I better get going. If I am to leave in a few days then I have quite a bit to wrap up before my departure."

"Of course, I will walk you out." Sookie told him as she got to her feet.

She walked Bill to the door before returning to the kitchen to clean up her mess. When all the food had been put away and the last dish dried and put away, Sookie turned to see Eric back at the table. She could feel the closeness of the sun approaching and knew he would have to go to his daytime chamber. She opened her mouth but Eric had her in his arms before she could even make a sound.

"Come lay with me." He said. "You can explore tomorrow." She nodded and he flitted back through the house, this time a different way than the way they originally came out. He showed Sookie how to secure and open the hidden doorway but there were no other words spoken between them. They stripped naked and fell into bed. He pulled her close and she curled into his side and they held each other until the sun came up and Eric's life fell away and sleep pulled Sookie back under.

She knew that she had slept with her own dreams but she couldn't remember what they were. Sookie knew that she shouldn't have been sleepy but as soon as she and Eric had climbed into the bed last night it had become a fight to stay awake until sunrise. She guessed that just because she had been out for over a day when she gave the gift to Bill, didn't mean she was getting any actual rest. She'd read about it and unconscious doesn't automatically mean rest.

Sookie looked around and found that Eric had thoughtfully provided her with a clock so that she would know the exact time. It was already three twenty-five in the afternoon. She couldn't believe that she had slept so long. Try as she might she couldn't keep the smile off of her face. She was going to go to Bon Temps today...without having the cloud of Bill hanging over her head. She wanted to drop in on Sam before she headed to Hummingbird Lane and she was going to have to get a move on if she was going to be able to put some creative thought into how to make things better with Pam. She kissed Eric gently and then detangled herself from his tight clutch. He was intentionally holding on to her and she began to laugh.

_'I don't want you to go yet._' He thought to her. _'You feel too good in my arms.'_

_'Hey this whole making sure that I get up in the daytime was your idea remember.' _Sookie reminded him. _'Besides I want to stop by the house and grab a few things and then maybe go by the bar and see Sam.'_

Eric mentally groaned at her. _'Oh so you were serious about that and not just putting off Pam by choosing the shifter over her?_

_'Don't be like that Eric. I am going to make things right with Pam. I talked with Bill last night and a few things came into focus for me. I won't leave this wrong between us.' _She waited a moment for her words to sink in before she continued. _'Besides, I want to keep as many of my friendships that I possibly can. If you are going then I will meet you at the club tonight. I feel like blowing off a little steam after all.'_

_'And to suck up to Pam.'_

_'Yes and to suck up to Pam.'_

_'Will you sit with me?' _Eric asked.

_'Will you let me go now?_' Sookie countered.

_'Deal._' Eric quickly replied and let her go. Sookie laughed and kissed him again before she got out of bed. Of course he would let her go, anything to get her to sit on that stupid stage with him without her kicking and screaming the entire way. It took her a few chances before she was able to open the security door but once she did, she stepped into a small completely dark hallway. If her eye sight hadn't changed she would be in deep trouble. She remembered where Eric said the finger print scanner and she pulled on an exposed brick close to the floor. She scanned her finger and about ten feet down a secret door opened for her. She walked through it and found that she was in the closet. The secret door was behind one of the dressers on a wall of built in shelves ad chests. She pushed the chest back and it caught with an audible click.

The closet she was in was bigger than her room at the farm house even if she included the size of the bathroom. It had pearl walls and tall ceilings and it was perfectly laid out. Next to the bank of dressers and shelves that she just exited was two bars the top hanging various shirts that had been coordinated by color and style. The bottom was organized the same way with what looked like dress pants. Further on was another corner of built in shelves with more shoes separated by style, type, brand, and color. Next to that was a narrow dresser about half the width of a regular sized dresser. She opened it to find it filled with suede inlays and jewels. Another drawer she opened had sets of jewelry and different stones paired off together. Each set had everything from earrings, necklaces, and bracelets to anklets, rings and even a few toe rings. Some sets even had tiara's sitting snugly next to everything else. Another drawer had bracelets that seemed to stand on their own along with earrings and rings that did the same. The last drawer had watches for every occasion. Some were plain on black straps and others were jewel and diamond encrusted. She had no doubts that even the plainest watch had to be worth some serious dough.

The other side of the room was laid out the same way only the selections on that side seemed to be more casual and every day. It was still dressier than what she was used to but it was casual compared to the side she just left. This side was filled with sundresses and khaki pants and skirts. Someone, she was thinking Pam, had even threw in a few pairs of black, white, light blue, and dark blue jeans and jean skirts. On the exposed shelving there were filled with all kinds of different sandals. Only the top shelf had been left to pairs of sneakers but even those looked designer. The only oddity to her was the pair of Timberlands at the end of the sneaker row, but she guessed that Pam wanted her to be prepared for absolutely anything.

Next to the shelves of shoes was a pair of double doors and Sookie found a smaller closet with belts and hat boxes for any casual or dress occasion she would probably need. On the front of each hat box was a small picture of the hat it contained. Sookie closed the doors and moved onto a second set of double doors. In this small walk in closet, that was still the size of her old bathroom was what she could only describe as...well she couldn't describe it at all. She was in a sea of blacks and reds and navy's. Latex and vinyl and spandex as far as her eyes could see. The floor was lined with spiked heels and boots that looked impossible to walk in. She went to close the doors only to see whips and handcuffs of all kinds hanging on it. Sookie gasped and closed those doors a bit harder than she meant to and leaned against them. What in the world was Pam thinking filling her closet with that sort of thing?

She was close to the doors that she guessed would lead her into the bedroom when she spotted another set of double doors and she looked at them dubiously. For some reason these doors went from floor to ceiling right next to the dressers and shelves that she had first exited behind. She wanted to get out of here but she knew she couldn't without seeing everything that was here. The center of the closet was divided by two plush benches that had a solid round table in between them. It reminded Sookie of those pedestals that brides stand on when they are getting fitted for their wedding dresses. She walked around the benches to the last set of double doors and took a deep breath before she opened them.

A light automatically turned on and Sookie gasped. This was more of a hallway than a closet because she could see another set of double doors at the end. On each wall two racks one was at normal height and the other was almost at the ceiling. Each of the racks on both sides of the wall was filled with garment bags. She opened a black garment bag to her left to find a beautiful ivory off the shoulder dress. She zipped it up and found a number close to the top of the zipper. She moved to the other side and found a deep purple halter dress that was simply striking. Again when she zipped it up she found a number printed on the bag. She looked down to see shoe boxes stacked three high. On the front of each box was a picture of the shoes within and a corresponding number. "This is better than Garanimals" she whispered. She moved down the hall way pulling out one dress from another. A little more than halfway down the garment bags turned from black to white. She opened one and found a beautiful navy tux. The white bags were Eric's clothes.

She opened a few more of his bags before going to the other double doors. She walked into a replica of her closet only this one was outfitted specifically for Eric. Pam must have had the time of her life stocking and arranging these closets for them. Sookie was hit with a pang of guilt of how she treated Pam. She backed out of his closet and walked through the garment bags back to her own closet. She grabbed a nice pale gold sundress and some pretty black sandals with a small heel. She looked around for undergarments but didn't find any anywhere in the closet.

She walked out of the closet to find herself in a massive bedroom. There was a custom sleigh bed made of a dark rich mahogany wood. It had a large chocolate brown comforter with purple piping threading all through it. It trailed the line of masculinity with a feminine touch. There were just a few decorative pillows both chocolate brown and royal purple that complemented everything. There was a massive leather bench at the end of the bed. It had distressed leather with aged bronzed buttons sewn in. The wooden base and legs seemed to be the same mahogany wood as the bed. On either side of the bed was matching nightstands. She automatically knew which side was hers because her favorite book was sitting out on top of the nightstand on the right side of the bed.

There was a sitting area with a massive armoire as the focal point and she guessed that it housed another television. The couch and love seat were made of leather and again it was softened by beautiful purple and cream pillows and a throw that was echoed throughout the room. She turned further around the room to find a large, heavy, wooden stair case that lead to what looked like a loft. Under the staircase was two huge armoires that she couldn't guess at. She put her dress and shoes down on the bed and walked over to them.

On the one to the left were boxers and briefs and every kind of underwear that she could ever imagine a man would ever wear. In the second drawer were socks of every color. She tried to open the last drawer but it was locked and she didn't have the key. So she stood and opened the doors above but found that those too were locked. Only this time the lock didn't need a key but a finger print. Shrugging she placed her thumb to the small screen and it opened. What she found was so normal that she had to laugh. She picked up Eric's wallet and found his government issued ID that all registered vampires had to carry. He had several credit cards and more than three thousand dollars in hundred dollar bills. He only had one hundred in twenties and Sookie had to shake her head. If it were anyone but Eric she would have said that he was just asking to get robbed. She knew that for Eric this was just change. She closed his wallet and picked up his watch and his cell phone. A simple black leather belt was clasped and hung in a hook at the back of the armoire. She thought about taking a dirty picture but quickly lost her nerve.

A small knock came from the door. "Just a minute." Sookie called before putting everything back where she found it and walked over to the door and opened it.

Jamal, Anthony, and a large silver wolf that was Noah stood there. Their eyes showed complete relief and then surprise before a spark of lust and then fear. Jamal and Anthony turned their backs and Noah dropped his wolf head and closed his eyes.

"What's wrong guys?" Sookie asked concerned. Noah let out a soft yelp but Anthony and Jamal said nothing. "Jamal?" She put her hand on Jamal's shoulder and his muscles instantly tensed.

"It's good to see that you are better my Queen." Jamal managed in a tight voice wishing with everything he had that she would stop touching him.

"Of course I am." Sookie replied. "What's wrong with you guys?"

"We apologize Queen Northman." Jamal continued. He hoped that speaking her rank would drive the image of her naked body from his mind but it was of no such luck. "We are unused to seeing such beauty as a Queen standing naked before us." They heard her gasp and then the door slammed behind them. They all released a sigh of relief.

"I think she's trying to kill us." Anthony declared.

"Or have us killed." Jamal replied. Noah gave a soft bark of agreement.

They stood in shocked silence both remembering every detail of their Queen's nude body, which was by far beyond anyone they've ever seen.

"Did you notice her-" Anthony began but Jamal cut across him.

"No, and if you want to live, you didn't either."

Sookie leaned against the door completely mortified. How could she have not put on any clothes? She ran through what she had been doing and was horrified that she never put back on her clothes from last night when she woke up again. Eric was going to freak when she told him. Oh no, what if he tried to hurt Jamal, Anthony and Noah? Shit. She definitely wasn't talking and if they had any sense they won't either. But dammit, she couldn't keep a secret from Eric. He would know that she was holding back something in their bond. What if he heard it in one of her guard's minds? He would be even more pissed that she just didn't tell him and that he had to hear it from someone else. Shit; she resolved to tell him as soon as she woke.

"I'm going to take a shower and then I will be down in a minute." She called through the door.

"Yes Queen." Jamal called back before she heard them walk away.

She flitted over to the second armoire and pulled out the top drawer to find panty and bra sets stacked up together. She grabbed a silky bright yellow bra with matching lace boy shorts. She flitted into the bathroom without really seeing it. She put her bra and panties on the toilet while she opened different cabinets to find towels for her to use. She took a quick shower without really enjoying it because she was too busy fretting over how she was going to tell Eric and what his possible reactions were. She thought of him doing everything from yelling at her to just walking away to him attacking and killing her guard. She hated that she didn't know. That was what was killing her.

She hopped out the shower and quickly dried herself off before putting the towels in the laundry basket in the corner. She put on her bra and panties before picking up her tooth brush and brushing her teeth. When she was done she flitted back into the bedroom and went to her side of the bed. She opened the top drawer in the nightstand and found her favorite body butters and deodorant. She was shocked when the clock told her that it was already four fifteen. How could she have spent that long looking through her closet? Part of her was in complete disbelief but the other part of her reminded her of how stunning her closet was.

She quickly dressed before going back over to her armoire and opened the doors. She found her purse and cell phone and day planner. She found a light body spray that complimented her body butter and she gave herself a quick spray. When she was done she went back into the bathroom to take a look at herself. Her damp hair was starting to curl up and she looked around to find a set of built in shelves next to the linen closet where she found the towels. On these shelves were large baskets and each basket was labeled. She found the one that said 'Easy Haircare' and pulled it out. It was filled with top end products and she looked through them before she found an anti frizz cream. She read the directions and squirted some in her hands so that she could rub them through her damp locks so that she wouldn't turn into a poof ball.

She went back to the mirror and thought something was still missing. She flitted back to her closet and went through all the drawers of jewelry that she'd saw earlier. It took her three tries before she was able to find simple studs with a yellow emerald cut jewel embedded in it. It had a simple matching necklace with a matching emerald cut jewel on a thin platinum chain. She went back to the mirror to see that she looked great. The color of the jewels contrasted with the color of her dress and they were nice without being too flashy. She went back to her purse and pulled out a little makeup. She didn't add much, just a bit of blush and eye shadow and a tinted lip balm that made her lips look pink and pouty. She felt like the lady her Gran raise her to be.

Feeling a hundred times better now that she was properly dressed she replaced all her makeup back into her simple black purse. She added her cell phone before she took one more deep breath and headed down stairs to the kitchen. She had no idea where she was going but she just followed her guard's scents to where she wanted to be. She knew she should be looking around but she was fidgeting with her wedding bands as she got closer and closer to her guard.

They knew that she was there but none of them said anything and they kept talking to Susan as she fixed them plates to eat even though they told her that they weren't hungry. Noah padded out of the kitchen and down the hallway to where Sookie was standing. She offered him a sheepish smile.

"Sorry Noah." She apologized sincerely. "I didn't realize I had no clothes on. I didn't mean to offend anyone."

Noah bowed his head at her and looked into her eyes. She could feel a pull on her mind that she associated with someone 'talking' at her but she couldn't stand to relive her embarrassment in his mind. Noah regarded her a bit longer before moving towards her slowly and sitting at her feet. He licked her hand and she let out a breath before threading her hands into his thick fur. She squatted in front of him, making sure that she didn't flash him and began working her hands all through his fur. He was taller than her when she did this but it felt so good and he wasn't going to stop her...Queen's prerogative and all that. She smiled as she heard the purr of satisfaction emanate from his furry chest. After another moment she stood back up and offered Noah a more sincere smile and together they walked back into the kitchen.

"Good morning guys." Sookie greeted her guard as she pulled up a chair next to Jamal. There was no use in trying to avoid them because they will be spending the rest of the day together. They may as well try to get over the awkwardness.

"Good morning Mrs. Northman." Jamal and Anthony replied as they stood up while she sat. When she was seated they sat again. They made sure to greet her without her title because Susan was present and had no idea about any of their positions.

"I just want to apologize once again about earlier." Sookie said, deciding to take the bull by the horns. "It was my fault because I was careless and I'm sorry for the uncomfortable situation I placed y'all in. I can't keep this from Eric but I can promise to run interference if he takes it badly.

"Thank you." Anthony replied.

"We appreciate that Mrs. Northman." Jamal said before continuing in a lowered voice so Susan couldn't hear. "We knew it was an accident. We are all adults and everyone knows that nudity isn't a big deal for the two natured because at some point or another we all see one another nude."

"Yes, we have no shame." Anthony added helpfully. Noah made an annoyed noise but continued to sit across Sookie's feet.

Sookie laughed. "Great, as long as there will be no weirdness between us."

"No weirdness at all."

Sookie offered them a smile and looked up to see Susan putting the finishing touches on all their plates. "Good morning Susan."

"Good morning Mrs. Northman." Susan replied with a bright smile. "You look wonderful today. I love that dress."

"Thank you." Sookie beamed. She really did like Susan. She always had a kind word to match her kind thoughts. Susan was Eric's personal cook, not that she had a lot to do. Before Sookie he just paid her to be at his beck and call just in case he needed her for something. Sookie just barely met her on their return from Las Vegas seeing as how she destroyed the other house before she had a chance to meet her. Susan was about forty years old. She had three kids, all in college. She seemed to see Eric as more of a person than a vampire. Susan was very charmed by him and was very happy to have a job that paid so well and still allowed her to go to her son's football games or her daughter's volleyball games. She had worked for Eric for about five years and she's loved it; but now that she has more to do because of Sookie she loves it even more because she gets to take care of someone again and she's missed that.

"How are you this morning?" Susan asked sweetly as she brought everyone's plates over.

"Very well thank you Susan." Sookie smiled. "What have you made today?"

"I thought that you all might enjoy a spinach and mushroom omelet, and some freshly cut fruit."

"Oh that sounds wonderful." Sookie said and the guys nodded their agreement. When everyone had their plate Susan even remembered to make an extra plate and put it on the floor for Noah. Sookie said a quick prayer and then everyone dug into their plates. Everyone sang Susan's praises on the great food and she blushed and turned away from them all, waving off their compliments. Sookie asked if Susan was going to join them but she declined saying she had a lot of prep work for dinner that still had to be done.

She looked a little troubled as she worked but Sookie didn't listen to her thoughts, she wanted to respect Susan's privacy. Sookie was sure that Susan would bring it up if it were anything that she wanted to talk about. So instead of concentrating on Susan, Sookie outlined what she wanted to do and how she expected them to do that night. Everyone was very agreeable with her plans. After a while they all fell into silence and the only thing that could be heard is the scrapping of their silverware on their plates or the sound of glasses being sat down on the table. She was half way through her omelet when Jamal and Anthony asked for a second omelet. Susan laughed and brought them, even Noah, another omelet even bigger than their firsts. Sookie just laughed and shook her head as she teased them.

"What?" Jamal asked innocently. "We're growing boys."

Sookie just laughed and rolled her eyes. They ate in companionable silence and Sookie just soaked in the atmosphere. This felt like family to her. This felt right...like home. Susan fussed over them like they were her own children and Sookie ate it up. She liked being fussed over in this way because it reminded her of when Gran was still alive. For the first time in a long while that didn't make her sad.

"Will Evelyn be in today?" Susan asked as she tried to keep the scowl off her face when Sookie picked up her dirty dishes and took them over to the sink to be rinsed off.

"No, I will call her tomorrow." Sookie replied as she put her rinsed dishes in the dishwasher. She would try to actually wash them but she thought that Susan would flip her shit if she did. Apparently the Mistress of the house isn't supposed to wash her own dishes. She tried not to roll her eyes.

"Oh okay." Susan replied a bit distractedly. "If you are not back in time for dinner, I will be sure to leave you a plate in the refrigerator, or I can leave one warming in the oven for you."

"No the refrigerator will be fine. Thank you." Sookie said as she tried to study Susan without actually reading her mind. "Is something wrong Susan?"

"No Mrs. Northman, everything is just fine." She replied a little taken aback.

"Okay, I was just wondering." Sookie told her. "You know that you can talk to me if anything is bothering you right?"

Susan took a deep breath and smiled genuinely at her. "Thank you Mrs. Northman."

Sookie didn't push and Susan went back over to the table to fuss over the guys some more. The assured her that everything was great and that they were completely stuffed. She even noted how Jamal and Anthony both kissed Susan's cheek when she went to gather their dishes; even Noah licked her hand. Jamal looked over at her and smiled.

_'She reminds us of home.'_ He offered after seeing her scrutinizing them. She had to smile at that and walked back over to the table.

"Are you ready to go now?" Jamal asked her.

"Sure." Sookie replied as she stood, they followed her. "Thanks for a delicious breakfast Susan."

"It was my pleasure Mrs. Northman." Susan replied. They were almost out the door before Susan hastily spoke again. "Actually Mrs. Northman there is something that I wanted to talk to you about."

Sookie turned back to see the anxious look on Susan's face and she turned back to her guard. "Go on and get my car please. I will be out in a moment."

"Of course." Jamal nodded before leading Anthony and Noah out of the kitchen.

Sookie walked over to the counter and gestured for Susan to take the chair next to her. She looked like she was going to say something about that but decided against it. Sookie let her get settled in the chair before she spoke. "What can I do for you Susan?"

"It's just there have been so many changes here so quickly, and I really am fine with that. All the security that's now constantly around, all of the safety upgrades, there's so much that has changed in such a short period of time that it's a little mind boggling. I mean we all live in this neighborhood that Mr. Northman owns and the whole neighborhood has been built from scratch."

"Susan please tell me that you are not quitting on us?" Sookie asked nervously.

"Oh no Mrs. Northman, nothing like that. As long as you all want me here I will happily stay. I have always loved working for Mr. Northman because he has always treated me respectably and more than fairly. Now he's given me the house of my dreams without asking any more of me than he did before. It's just that I heard some of the guards talking the other day about how they couldn't believe how Mr. Northman had went from Sheriff of Area Five to a King of three states in the span of one night."

Sookie couldn't resist now and she opened her mind completely. She heard a lot of fear. Fear that she shouldn't trust Sookie with what she overheard, but she just couldn't help herself and she needed to ask from the source so to speak so that she wouldn't end up with a lot of backhanded rumor that could get her in even bigger trouble. Besides, Sookie seemed so sweet and so delightful. Though they had only met a short while she couldn't help but like and trust Sookie. In fact if she wasn't already married to Mr. Northman she would try to set her up with her son. Even still, as much as she has loved working for Mr. Northman she knew that he was a vampire. A very rich vampire which meant he had to be important. She knew that he worked at Fangtasia but she was old enough to know that that couldn't be his only venture.

She didn't want to make trouble she just wanted to be informed about the type of establishment she was working in. She didn't want to know more than what she had to, but at the same time she didn't want to work for a lie. Sookie could respect that. After all she suspected that the vampire world was more setup than what they let on to the world but she had no idea that it had royalty. The thought that kept going through her mind was if Eric was now King of three states then does that make Sookie Queen because she's his wife? Could there even be a human Queen of vampires? The way the security acted around her made Susan think it was possible or at least something close to Queen.

Sookie smiled reassuringly at Susan, she truly thought that what Susan was asking for was pretty reasonable. She grabbed Susan's hand so that she could finish her thought. She had begun to really regret even bringing it up to Sookie, but Eric had always been straight with her and she felt that it was the least she could do. Besides, approaching Sookie was way less intimidating than approaching Eric. She like Eric and all but that didn't change the fact that he was still very intimidating.

Susan let out a big breath trying to release some of her tension. "Look I know that there are things that I'm not supposed to know. I know that there are things about Mr. Northman's world that are better left unsaid, and I can respect that. I really can, but I really want to do the best job that I can for you. A status change like the one I overheard is mind boggling. I guess I just want to know if it's true and if there are going to be any extra duties because of it." Sookie began to speak but Susan held up her hand. "I will be happy to take on more responsibilities, I mean it's been absolutely delightful having you here but if there are extra things I need to be doing I want to be able to be prepared for that."

Sookie smiled at Susan. "Are you okay?" She asked only being half serious. Self induced terror was now weighing in on her and she'd began shaking like a leaf. "Relax Susan, what you're asking is not unreasonable."

She visibly relaxed and took another deep breath. "Okay Mrs. Northman."

"How about for the purpose of this conversation I call you Susan and you call me Sookie, okay?"

"Okay Mrs- uh Sookie." Susan said with a slight smile.

"Great. Now, what you heard is true. Eric is now King of three states and it's the reason for all of the extra security. It's true that the vampire world is way more organized than they let on. There are several levels being Sheriff and being King are just two of them. Because Eric is King that would make me Queen, not of all the vampires in the world or even the United States, but in the three areas that Eric rules over. This has all just happened, hence the elevated security. Are you still with me?" She asked because Susan's eyes were the size of saucers and she was a little worried about them popping out of her head.

"Uh, yes I'm still with you Sookie." She took another deep breath. "But you are human, how does a human become Queen over vampires...even if she is married to the King. I would have thought some other title would have been given instead. You know kind of how there's a Queen of England but her husband is not King, he's just a Prince."

"You're right, it doesn't happen. Eric and I are unique." Sookie said and then she continued when Susan nodded. "I don't see how this would impact your job much more than it already has. I mean now that more people will be in and out I may have a few dinner parties, but on those occasions you will be given plenty of notice and more help if needed. Other than that it will pretty much just be me, and to tell the truth I would most of the time prefer eating in the little house out back when it's finished."

"Have you seen it at all?" Susan asked a bit sidetracked.

"No, I'm sure I can find it if I tried but Eric is keeping it a secret." She admitted. "I'm supposed to be exploring this place but I still haven't gotten around to it."

"Well if you like tomorrow I will be able to show you. It's quite impressive."

"You've got a date Susan." She replied with a squeeze of her hand. "Speaking of tours, can you show me how to get out of here?" Sookie let go of Susan's hand as she let her digested the information that Sookie had given her. Sookie kept her shield's down just in case but otherwise left her alone.

She seemed to be satisfied with what she was told and a little excited at the prospect of a dinner party. She really didn't want any more information than what Sookie gave her. The further she can stay away from all the extras that didn't pertain to her job then the better. She was really excited to be spending quality time with Sookie. They've been on different schedules at the Bon Temps home because Susan was overseeing the kitchen designs for both homes. So usually when she came to cook or drop off food they always seemed to have just missed each other.

"Sure Sookie, I'll walk you out myself. I'm headed that way anyway to take orders from some of the men." They got to their feet and Sookie smiled to herself because really, how many times had she said the same thing to herself over the years about not wanting to know more than she needed to and now here she was Queen.

They both stood and Susan led the way to the front door. Of course Sookie could have just followed the scents of her guards out but she felt a small shift with the conversation that she and Susan just had. Like somehow it felt more intimate, like some sort of barrier that she didn't even known was there had come down. Sookie wasn't sure if it was that she knew she could relax a little around Susan or if Susan was now more relaxed around her but there was definitely a change; and she decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth. Before Sookie realized it Susan was opening the front door for her. They said their goodbyes and Susan closed the door after her.

Sookie was out of the door and hopping into her Navigator within a blink of an eye. True she didn't need all the extra safety features Eric had added but she couldn't bring herself to replace such an important reminder of his love. She got into the back seat while Anthony got into the passenger seat and Jamal slid into the driver's seat. It was then that Sookie realized that Noah wasn't there.

"Where is Noah?" Sookie asked.

"He's changing back." Jamal told her before he got on his radio to let Noah know that they were ready.

"I was wondering why he was in his wolf form earlier...before we were sidetracked." Jamal snickered and though Anthony wasn't looking at her she could see the tips of his ears had turned red...did he just blush?

"He was running a parameter. His senses are better in wolf form. When we are on the compound he does a number of checks in both forms since his senses are so far beyond everyone on the compound save you and King Northman."

"Oh, that makes sense." She said before they lapsed into silence. She could feel the hum of Noah closing in quickly on them though nothing seemed wrong. Sookie looked at the door across from her two seconds before Jamal and Anthony did. "Good to see your face Noah."

"Thank you Queen. I apologize for keeping you waiting. I know that time is not our friend." Noah said stoically.

Sookie laughed. "Noah, you've been with me for six months and if you're going to continue to hang with me then you are going to definitely have to relax." Anthony and Jamal joined in her laughter and Noah cracked a smile. "Ah see, I knew I would wear you down. I have all of the time in the world you know." She said with a sly smile.

"Forgive me your Majesty. I don't mean to be rude, it's just-"

"Your sense of propriety and duty?" Sookie interrupted. He nodded after a brief pause. She'd heard this all before and was sure that she would hear it all again but it didn't stop her from teasing him. It didn't surprise him that she could read him so well. Their connection, whatever it was, was solid and unyielding. She had a constant presence in the back of his mind. It was a good tool for security because it would allow the three of them to keep her safe but sometimes he didn't know how he felt about it on a personal level. "It's a good thing that we are going to a bar then because you definitely could use a drink. First round is on me."

"You know we can't drink while on duty." Anthony protested as Jamal started the Navigator.

"You will refuse your Queen?" Sookie asked as she cocked her eyebrow in a silent challenge.

The car fell into an uneasy silence and Sookie dropped her shields so that she could hear the turmoil she had caused and it was hard for her not to burst into laughter. They couldn't tell if she was still joking with them or if she were serious. They didn't want to disrespect her by refusing their wishes but at the same time they had a job to do; and if something happened they would have to face the King. They all were thinking about who the lesser of the two evils were.

"I'm definitely the lesser of the two evils." She snickered and two of them whipped their heads around while the third used furtive glances in the rear view in order to stare at her. "How about we make a deal? _All_ three of you mellow out a little and I will buy the first rounds of drinks when we get to Merlottes, but I won't make you drink them if you feel uncomfortable. Will that be okay?"

They thought for a second and then each agreed. With another laugh Sookie threw her shields back up as they came to the main gates of the neighborhood. There was an armed guard at the gate and as soon as he locked eyes with Jamal, he entered the code that allowed them to leave. The drive to Bon Temps was pleasant enough. They all spoke amicably as they all tried to get to know one another a little better. To Sookie they seemed to be three sides of the perfect guy. You know the type that every girl would try to take home to their mother.

Jamal was very outspoken and outgoing. He loved sports, any and every sport. He was extremely social and had a great sense of humor. Anthony had rocker tenancies. He was very earthy and caring and had a sense of community. He volunteered a lot with Big Brother Big Sisters and was very we are the world. Noah was the strong silent type but his still waters ran deep. He loved reading and the theater and passionate about history. He didn't look it but he had a vast knowledge of different cultures and he loved to travel. He was a very serious person and Sookie was determined to get him to loosen up some. He mostly found her amusing because to him he was already very loose.

By the time they entered Bon Temps the best ideas Sookie was able to come up with in order to get Pam's forgiveness were to either buy her the controlling stock in Gucci (which would take some finesse and A LOT of help), or to just sign over her freedom papers and become Pam's personal slave. Was it scary that she didn't know which Pam would choose when faced with the choice?

When they walked into Merlottes the early dinner crowd was starting to stream in. Everyone who was there fell silent when she walked in with her three companions. Sam was behind the bar and waved to her.

"Why don't you guys grab a booth and I will have Sam bring y'all a round of beers okay?" They all nodded and took a corner booth so that they would be able to see the entire bar and those who entered and exited.

"Well blow me down Sookie Stackhouse, oops I mean Sookie _Northman_. What are you doing in my neck of the woods?" Sam said with a bright smile as he came around the bar and gave her a big bear hug.

"What do you mean _my_ neck of the woods Sam Merlotte? Your neck of the woods are my neck of the woods." Sookie said with mock indignity.

"Always and forever Chere." Sam smiled back and motioned for her to take a seat.

"Sam can you get my guys a round of beers please?" She asked as she motioned to her entourage.

"They're drinking?" Sam asked as he started filling three beer mugs.

"I highly doubt it." Sookie said. "It seems that they are more afraid of Eric then they are of me so I made them a compromise that they could pretend to drink at the very least if they didn't actually feel like drinking."

Sam shook his head at her. Holly came up to the bar then. "Hey Holly, can you take these over to those three gentlemen please? Sookie is trying to corrupt her guards." He said with a smirk.

Normally Sam would never say anything pertaining to Sookie's royal status in front of others, but Holly was a witch and she knew about the takeover. She still treated Sookie the same way and that was a big relief to Sookie.

"Of course Sam." Holly replied before she pulled Sookie into a big hug. "How have you been girly?"

"Oh I'm great Holly. How is that beautiful son of yours?" Sookie asked.

"On the honor role again." Holly replied beaming with pride. "He told me last night that he wants to be a doctor."

"Oh really?"

"Yep but get this, he doesn't just want to be a doctor he wants to be a surgeon." Holly's face was completely lit up as she spoke about her son and that just warmed Sookie's heart.

"That's great Holly. You tell him to keep studying hard and when it's time for him to graduate Aunt Sookie will help him apply for the Northman Scholarship Fund. He will be able to go anywhere he wants to and study whatever he wants to also."

"Oh my God Sookie, thank you!" Holly exclaimed as she pulled Sookie into another bone crushing hug. When she pulled back she could see Holly's eyes glistening. Sookie didn't have to be a telepath to know that on her salary there was no way that she could afford to help her son when it was time for college, and Sookie was more than happy to do whatever she could to help. She loved Holly and her son. "Let me go on and serve these drinks before I turn into a blubbering fool." Holly said and then took the beers over to Sookie's guard.

Sookie looked at them pointedly and they all picked up their mugs and put them to their lips though she couldn't tell if they actually drank or not. She rolled her eyes at them and then turned back to Sam. They spoke for a few hours going over old times and updating each other about their lives. Sam's and Holly's mouths hit the floor when they got a glance at her huge diamond ring and wedding bands. She hadn't realized that she was playing with it, spinning it on her finger, until Sam suddenly grabbed her hand. She told them about marrying Eric and how perfect it was for them. She said that it was a spur of the moment and the rings were made by a distant family member just for the occasion. After Sam got over the shock of the size and Holly stopped gushing to get back to work, Sookie tucked the diamond under so that only the bands were visible. He didn't say anything out loud but the thought that some drunk person would do something stupid crossed his mind. She didn't want to tempt anyone so she turned her ring as they continued to talk.

She loved talking to Sam and time seemed to fly by. They all ate a late lunch there. Sam even sat and ate with Sookie at the bar. She had asked the guys if they were ready to go but they said they were fine and that they could stay longer if she wished. True they were a little bored but they knew she wasn't able to get out as much as she wanted so they didn't care about sitting in a bar for a few hours as she spoke to her friends. Besides the customers that came in and out of the bar were very entertaining. They all had a hard time picturing their Queen working here and trying to fit in with _these_ people.

Through out the afternoon and into the evening different people would come in and squeal when they realized that it was her sitting at the bar. At times a small group would form around her. When that happened one of them would go and sit next to her until the crowd dissipated. They didn't know the reason why but the people of Bon Temps seemed so much friendlier towards her than what she said they used to be. Now they could be doing one thing and thinking another, and she would know, but what little they knew about her they knew she was keeping her shields firmly in place.

At about dusk Sookie came and sat with the rest of the guard. "I think that we could head out. I told Eric that I would see him at the club tonight."

"Is it going to be a formal night?" Noah asked.

"No, we are just going to relax and blend in tonight." She replied.

"No offense." Jamal said before he began to snicker. "But you never blend in."

"And I hope I never do." Sookie said as she joined him in laughter.

Just as Sookie was about to suggest they get out of there the door opened and in walked a girl that annoyed the hell out of Sookie, Brandi Murphy. Sookie sighed and rolled her eyes. That didn't escape the notice of the three men in her presence and they all looked to see what had irritated her.

Brandi was a classmate of Sookie's from preschool to graduation. The last Sookie had heard Brandi had moved to New York with her high school sweet heart after graduation. He came back alone and broken hearted with a tale of Brandi two-timed him with her boss before finally breaking up with him and cleaning out their bank account.

Sookie never had very many friends in school but Brandi claimed that she was one of them. To Sookie she was one of those friends that made you not need any enemies. Where Tara had been true blue, Brandi changed with the wind. She overlooked some of Sookie's quirks until the other kids began picking on her, then she would join in. She would always come and apologize later but Sookie could tell from her mind that she didn't really mean it. She told kids that she was just doing charity by being Sookie's friend. Though to Sookie her words seemed nice, her thoughts never were. Sookie had just wanted a friend so badly that she overlooked the horrible way Brandi treated her.

That was a different Sookie, a more scared Sookie, a more timid Sookie. That was not the Sookie that sat there today, Queen of Louisiana, Nevada, and Arkansas. That is not Queen Sookie that sat there today with her guard; and that will never be Sookie Elizabeth Stackhouse Northman ever again.

Brandi looked worse for the wear. She had died her mousy brown hair a platinum blond, but it looked cheap and dull. She was always flat chested in high school but that too has changed with some rather large implants. She was still boney so that made her fake boobs seem all the more big. Nothing seemed to be real on her. From her stringy hair to her fake breasts or her fake nails. She had on a pair of low rise jeans and a silver halter top with black high heeled sandals. Everything about her screamed "cheap" and "easy". Obviously nothing has changed from high school but her looks.

"Sookie Stackhouse," Brandi screeched when her eyes landed on Sookie. "Oh my Lord is that you?" She came over and grabbed Sookie's arm.

Jamal stood and grabbed Brandi's arm. "Let go of her arm right now if you know what's good for you." He hissed. He didn't know this woman but he saw that obviously Sookie didn't like her and that was enough in his book to dislike her also.

"Hey get your freaking hands off me!" She said as she let go of Sookie to try and free herself of him.

"It's okay Jamal." Sookie said. "Brandi and I go way back." He didn't care because that still didn't mean that she was good people.

"Please have a seat Brandi, how have you been?" Sookie asked as she flashed Brandi a big fake smile.

Brandi regarded Jamal again but took the free seat next to Noah, who sniffed the air once Brandi sat down and scooted closer to the wall with a look of disgust on his face. Sookie inhaled a little deeper, and caught the distinct whiff of over use. Brandi was a fang banger and as she swept her platinum blond dies hair to the side Sookie could see all the fang marks on her neck and shoulders. Sookie resisted the urge to make a face, she just scooted over closer to Anthony so that Jamal could have a seat on the outside. Sookie had learned that fang bangers had a certain scent about them and it was not a pleasant one, that's why Noah moved further away from Brandi.

"I've been great Sookie!" Brandi smiled at her seemingly to regain her good humor. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?" She asked looking at Anthony and Noah with desire but skipping Jamal, apparently _all_ of her good humor wasn't back.

"Yes of course, I'm sorry. These are my friends Anthony, Noah and Jamal. Guys this is my friend Brandi, we went to school together from grade school to high school and then Brandi moved to New York to never be heard of again." Sookie smiled Brandi again who seemed to be eating up her attention and batting her eyes at Anthony and Noah.

"Well you know I wasn't made like you Sookie. I wasn't meant to be a simple small town girl." Brandi said with a laugh.

_There we go. _Sookie thought to herself. She was wondering when her back handed friend would re-emerge and start doling out those backhanded compliments. Her eyes narrowed a bit but that was the only acknowledgement to the insult she gave and Brandi was too stupid to see it. Noah opened his mouth to say something but Sookie shook her head infinitesimally and he kept his peace.

"I mean when I went to New York I completely fell in love." She said with her eyes lighting up. "There is so much out there that it would make your head spin, let me tell you."

"So much out there?" Sookie said playing dumb. "Like what?"

Brandi of course took the bait. "Oh my gosh where do I start?" She asked herself thoughtfully, and then a sly smile crossed her face. "Let's start with _vampires." _She squeaked.

Sookie let her eyes get appropriately big and see leaned forward in her chair. "_You_ know vampires?" She asked like that was inhumanly possible. It had the desired effect; Brandi puffed out her chest and lifted her head high.

"Of course I do Sookie. You can't move to a big city like New York and not run into a whole bunch of vampires. That's all I date anymore."

"Wait, wait, wait a minute Brandi. You _date_ vampires?" Sookie said in a wondrous voice. "Aren't you scared of them?"

"Oh heaven's no." she replied with a dismissive wave of her hand. "You don't know what you're missing honey. Take my advice, honey. Find the nearest vampire and offer yourself to him, trust me the experience will be life changing." Brandi shook her head seriously.

Jamal made a disgusted sound and Sookie elbowed him in the ribs; probably harder than she meant to because he gave a sharp intake of breath and said a low but sincere "Ouch."

"Sorry." Sookie replied and Jamal nodded his head with a small smile. Brandi looked at them weirdly so Sookie covered. "I forgot that he hurt his side the other day. I didn't mean to hurt him."

Brandi just shrugged. She didn't even pretend to care like a normal person would. She had already written him off the moment he defended Sookie.

"Is that where you got those marks on your neck?" Sookie asked innocently.

"Duh Sookie." She rolled her eyes as if she were going to have to explain how you get fang marks on your neck to a two year old. "That's the best part. When you're having sex they bite you right before or at your climax, it's absolutely mind blowing."

"Oh my goodness guys, can you believe that? She let's vampire's bite her, isn't that crazy?"

Anthony abruptly started laughing at Sookie's question though he managed. "Some women like to bite."

Jamal was laughing too. "Oh come on Sookie, how did you think vampire's fed? There wasn't always synthetic blood."

Noah was just smirking and shaking his head at them but he didn't speak. He was glad that he took this job because if nothing else the Queen and the other guards on his shift are just hilarious.

"Don't laugh, I just think that it would be so scary to be around them." Sookie said trying to sound indignant. "You've got to be so brave Brandi. I don't think that I could even talk to one let alone let one bite me."

"Sure you can honey, I can teach you everything that you need to know." Brandi said but then her eyes got big. "Oh my goodness I've just got the most perfect idea ever! There's supposed to be this great vampire bar in Shreveport, you should come with me!"

"Oh no not me." Sookie shook her head for emphasis but Brandi wasn't having it.

"Oh yes Sookie come, don't be so pathetic."

"I am not pathetic." Sookie said as she glared at Brandi. "I am not the girl you remember me to be and you would do very well to remember that Brandi."

"Oh course you're not pathetic." Brandi said dismissively. "And I'm sure you're not the girl you use to be. I'm sure that you're real grown up now sweetie."

Anthony opened his mouth at her insult but Sookie quieted him with a thought. _'No, don't say anything. I want to have some more fun with her.'_ He just threw her a sideways glance because he couldn't see anything funny about this situation.

Sookie looked at her dubiously. "Oh, come on Sookie I'm only here for a little while and I want to spend some time with you. I promise that I will teach you everything you will need to know to keep yourself out of trouble."

Sookie made a show of trying to decide but before she could speak up Noah finally spoke. "How about if we go with you to protect you?"

"You mean like body guards?" Sookie asked with feigned curiosity.

Noah nodded. "We promise that we will let absolutely nothing and no one hurt you. Right guys?"

"Well, I have nothing better to do and this will be so funny to watch." Jamal said with a wink to Sookie.

"Sure, I'm up for a night out." Anthony said. "Why not?"

Brandi squealed. "Ohh see now you can't say no now, you even have your own protection."

"I don't know." Sookie said, milking it for all it was worth. "I don't think my husband will like the thought of me being in a bar, let alone a vampire bar."

Brandi's mouth hit the table. "_You_ are _married?_" She said incredulously. "What guy would do that?"

Sookie glowered at her. "A nice and gentle man. He worships the ground I walk on."

"Is he normal or is he like you?" She asked still astonished.

"Brandi, if you insult me one more time I will kick your happy little ass around this bar. And I will laugh and sing as I do it. If I were you I'd quit while I'm ahead...and un-bruised."

She gaped at Sookie. "Damn girl you can't even take a joke anymore? I was just playing."

"I do not take any insults anymore, even if they are wrapped up like supposed jokes. I do not joke like that, and it would be imperative to your health that you don't either."

"Okay, okay. I get it. I will be on my best behavior. Can I still ask questions?" Sookie nodded. "Can I see your ring?" Sookie twisted her diamond back into place and held her left hand out. Once again Brandi's jaw hit the table. "How long have you been married?"

"Not long." Sookie said. She wanted to keep the information given to a bare minimal.

"What's he like?" Brandi asked. She honestly wanted to know what kind of man would choose Sookie as a bride because hell, if Sookie could do it then she for damn sure could.

"He's amazing. He is very generous and caring. He has a great business mind. Where other's thought I was crazy and odd, he thought me beautiful and gifted. He calls me his Angel and he treats me like a Queen."

"She ain't never lied about that." Jamal said shaking his head with the thoughts of how Eric and Sookie acted around one another.

"Where is he?" Brandi asked. She had to see him for herself.

"He has work in Shreveport but I should see him later tonight." Sookie smiled. "Maybe we will see him."

It was all Brandi could do not to roll her eyes. She heard that setup before a million times. She'd bet her implants that there would be some emergency to prevent him from joining them but no matter. It didn't escape her attention that Sookie said that he had a great business mind but didn't actually say what he did for a living. She knew from her time in New York that meant his work didn't actually have a classification, or even a W2, and that's _if_ he actually works in the first place. On the other had that ring was gorgeous...but how many gorgeous rings had she seen at the Wal-Mart jewelry counter? Now Sookie absolutely had to come out if for no other reason but to snoop more about her so called husband. She wasn't completely blind though, Sookie was very beautiful. Many vampires will want her, but while Sookie is busy being crazy and shy, she will just be getting busy. She will show little miss goody two shoes what it means to be a real woman.

"Oh please come Sookie. Pretty please with cherries on top?"

"Okay, okay. If my husband asks where I was I suppose I will tell him but if he doesn't then I won't mention it myself."

"Oh Sookie Sookie now, look at you with the deviousness going on." Jamal said under his breath so that everyone but Brandi would hear.

"Great!" Brandi jumped up from her chair. "I will go get dressed and then I will meet you back at your house."

"Okay great." Sookie beamed her best fake smile at Brandi.

"Oh uh you do still live at the same place right? Or did you and your husband move to a new place?"

"Oh no, I inherited Gran's house when she passed."

"Great so I will be there in like an hour and then I will tell you all you need to know to survive in the vampire world."

"I can't wait." Sookie said sincerely.

With that Brandi gave the guys one last wave and was out of the door. It had barely even closed good before they all burst into hysterical laughter.

"How in the world were you ever friends with her?" Anthony asked. Sookie gave them a quick rundown of her so called friendship with Brandi.

"Oh, well that makes this whole thing make a whole lot more sense." Noah said when she was done. "I've never known you to be or heard of you being a cruel person."

"But she's a total bitch, so let's go get ready so that we can _all_ learn how to survive in the vampire world." Jamal said getting up and then offering Sookie his hand to help her.

"Why thank you kind sir." Sookie said thickening up her southern accent. "If you will give me a brief moment to say goodbye to my dear friend Sam, we can all be on our way."

Jamal bowed as she passed, dropping back into his proper role as the Queen's body guard and out of the pretend role of her friend.

Sookie approached Sam who seemed to be in a great mood. When she told him that she was leaving, He gave her a big hug.

"I think that you have been around the Viking too long Chere. You are beginning to get just as devious as he is." Sam murmured to her.

"Why Sam Merlotte, I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about." Sookie quipped feigning innocence.

"Sure Chere." Sam smiled.

"Later Sam." Sookie returned his smile. She turned back to her guard and they left.

The trip from the bar to her home was just as short as she remembered, though it seemed even shorter now that she was used to Shreveport. The guard around the home nodded to them as they drove up the drive. Jamal had Sookie's door open before she could even turn off the ignition.

"Very irritating Jamal." Sookie said with a small smile.

"All in a day's work Queen." Jamal replied with a discrete wink.

They automatically fell into step around Sookie as they made their way up to the porch and into the home. As soon as the door closed around them Anthony, and Noah spread out and searched the home. It was empty and they came back to Sookie and Jamal in the living room with small nods that the house was clear.

"Alright, I need to go and find something to wear." Sookie said as she stepped towards her room.

"May I make a suggestion Queen?" Anthony asked.

"It's just us Anthony, relax." Sookie said. "And yes, you can make a suggestion."

"Well do you have anything completely inappropriate for the club?" He asked.

"Um, I'm sure that I can find something." Sookie replied as she began to think about what she had at this house. "Why?"

"Well since you have never been to a vampire bar before, maybe you can start out with something that is completely wrong...maybe something you would wear for church."  
"Oh that would be great!" Jamal said. "Then when Brandi "talks" you into changing, you can come out in something that makes her look like the man she should have been."

"Wow, you guys are ruthless..." Sookie looked at them approvingly. "I like it, and I have the perfect dresses."

"Do we get a preview?" Jamal asked with a devious smirk.

"He has a point." Anthony seconded. "We did come up with the idea."

"This is true, but you are going to have to wait." Sookie said. "It's no fun if I can't see the looks on everyone's faces."

They bowed, making Sookie laugh as she walked into her room. The room still reminded her of Gran, but it hurt her less and less when she entered it. Now she gets nostalgic and feels somehow closer to Gran. It helped that when the house was re-outfitted that small changes were made. The room didn't look like she had moved into Gran's room, it was all her and Eric now. Maybe it was that her heart and mind wouldn't let her forget who's room it was before. She took a quick shower so that she could work from a blank canvas and then sat down on the side of the bed and began to lotion her entire body. After that she went to her chest and picked out cranberry lace panties with a matching strapless bra. She walked over to her closet and began digging deep within, but it wasn't there. A lot her the stuff had been boxed up for her to go through later. She was supposed to do it before they moved back to Shreveport but she procrastinated.

She had got a birthday gift from Mrs. Fortinberry a few years back and she knew it would be perfect for this, but she didn't see the plastic it hung in. She tried to think and remember what she did with it, but truthfully with Eric and Pam replacing her clothes, it could be long gone. She was about to give up when she noticed the hideous flowered gift box sitting high up on her shelf. It sat on another larger box that she was supposed to have gone through but didn't. She tried to reach it but it was too far out of her grasp, she needed a chair to stand on.

"Noah!" She called. A moment later there was a knock on the door. Sookie looked down and remembered she was still in her underwear. She grabbed her robe and secured it around herself before she yelled for him to come in.

Noah cracked the door but didn't come in. "How can I assist you Queen?" He asked politely.

"I can't reach a box at the top of my closet. Can you go get me a chair so that I don't have to walk through the house naked?" Sookie asked.

"If you can throw on a robe I'm sure that I will be able to reach the box."

"I do have a robe on." Sookie assured him.

Noah came in and though her robe was tied tightly he made sure to keep his eyes averted from her. He walked over to the closet and looked at the shelves.

"You see that butt ugly flowered gift box about third from the top?" She pointed. "That's the one that I need."

"No problem." Noah said as he reached up to grab the box. He used one hand to grab the box and the other to steady the boxes above and below it so that there wouldn't be an avalanche. It came away free and clear without any issues and he handed it to Sookie. "Anything else?"

"Nope, that's all." Sookie replied.

"Then I shall leave you." With that and a small bow, Noah disappeared on the other side of the door.

Sookie placed the box on the bed and opened it. Sure enough the dress was in there. She lifted it up with a devious smirk and laid it out on the bed. She went back into the bathroom and began her hair. She used her curling iron to create tight little ringlet's all over her head. When she was done she used hair spray to hold it in place. She kept her makeup light and clean since she knew she was going to have to adjust it some when she changed dresses. When she was done she walked back into her room and slid on skin toned thigh high stockings with cranberry garters she bought just to taunt Eric.

A rush of love and life came over her and she knew that Eric was awake. Even though he was still in Shreveport, she could feel it as sure as if he were in Bon Temps with her. She felt his love and...anticipation. A shiver racked her body as she thought of the greeting she would get when he saw what she was wearing under her dress. She could feel him probing her mental block and she let it slip so that they could speak.

_'Good evening Lover.'_ Eric greeted.

_'Good evening Eric.' _Sookie responded with a coy smile because she knew he could see it in her mind's eye.

_'Have you had a good day?' _He asked.

_'It's been interesting...' _She hedged as she tried to block some of her memories from him.

_'Why do you hide?' _Eric asked_. 'Have you been a bad girl, Lover?'_

_'No...'_

_'Then why don't I believe you?' _Eric asked with a mental laugh._ 'Tell me.'_

Sookie debated for a while and then decided to just show him everything, she would need his help anyways later. _'Are we still going to the club tonight?'_

_'Yes, unless you want to go somewhere else.' _He replied. _'Why?'_

She stopped trying to block everything and just let the events of the day flow through her mind. She felt his amusement at her continued failed attempts to corrupt her guard. She knew that he didn't like the 'look' on Sam's face when they were catching up; and she felt his anger when Brandi came into the picture. It ended again with his amusement when she hatches her plan to get back at Brandi. She was careful to stop before he could see what her undergarmets looked like, that would be saved for later.

_'So I assume you will need me to actually sit on the throne tonight?' _He asked even though he already knew the answer. _'What else?'_

_'Can you tell them not to bow when I get there?' _

_'No can do, that's the easiest way for them to show their deference to you.'_

_'I know that but can't we act like we are in a public, non-vampire location and just nod instead of bowing?' She _waited for a moment while he thought. _'Just for the beginning, when I reveal myself everything can go back to normal.'_

_'Okay fine, I will let Pam know.' _Eric relented. _'You know you could just tell her to go to hell and be done with it.'_

_'Where's the fun in that?' _Sookie asked.

_'You've been spending too much time with Pam.'_

_'Funny.' _She replied cheekily. _'Sam said it was you I was imitating. He said you were rubbing off on me.'_

_'Later Lover, I promise.' _Sookie laughed. _'For now I will leave you. I will see you soon at the club.'_

_'Love you.' _

_'And I you.' _And with that Eric was gone again behind his shield and Sookie replaced her own.

Sookie looked back down at the dress on her bed. It had a pale blue background with big pastel flowers all over it. A large square of white fabric was attached to the neckline and fell over her breasts in the front and the bottom of her shoulder blades in the back. The sleeves were puffed up like snowballs. There was a thick pale pink sash that tied around her waist to create a bow in the back and the dress fell to just below her knees. Sookie hated the dress and always refused to wear it but she couldn't bring herself to throw it away since Ms. Fortenberry took the time to make it by hand. She had stored it in the attic but Gran got onto her for it and suggested that she just keep it in the back of her closet.

"You never know when you will need it." Gran had told her. So that's where it sat before they began boxing up everything in order to redo the house.

She grimaced once but went on and put on the dress. She found a pair of ballerina flats to wear with it since she didn't have any appropriate shoes here. She heard a knock from downstairs and assumed Brandi had arrived. A minute later there was a soft knock on the door.

"Brandi is here Queen." Noah said through the door.

"I will be down in a minute." She called back. She went into the bathroom to look at herself in the full length mirror and she didn't know whether she was going to laugh or cry. Either way she needed to get this show on the road. They were burning the midnight oil.

She went down the stairs and hopped onto the landing. Sookie held her hands out in a ta-da motion. Everyone turned to look at Sookie and froze. Brandi looked offended while Noah hastily pulled Jamal and Anthony away. Sookie tried to school her features into hurt confusion as she watched the door close behind them. It was too low for Brandi to hear but Sookie could hear her guard clearly dying of laughter in their woods, even Noah.

"What's wrong with them?" Sookie asked Brandi as if she just wasn't getting it.

"What the hell is that you've got on?" Brandi asked incredulously.

Sookie modeled the dress, turning this way and that so that Brandi could get the full effect. "What I want to look nice if we are going out...even if it is with vampires."

"Yes, but what the hell is that you're wearing?" Brandi sputtered. Her eyes were big as saucers and she looked mildly nauseous.

"What?" Sookie wailed. "Mrs. Fortenberry made this for me and I happen to think I look spiffy."

"You look like a lot of things at the moment, but 'spiffy' isn't one of them." Brandi said. Sookie stepped towards her and Brandi stepped back as if afraid the ugliness was going to wipe off on her.

Sookie listened to them compose themselves and in the next moment her guard came back into the house. As soon as he looked at her, Anthony immediately bit the inside of his lip so that he could keep his composure. Noah allowed himself to smirk but that was it. Jamal seemed to be the weakest link within the three because he refused to even look at her.

"You are so not going out into public with me looking like that." Brandi finally said.

"And why not?" Sookie asked indignantly. "I happen to think I look nice."

Brandi started nodding like she just remembered something important. "Now I remember why I had to get out of this podunk town." She said aloud even though she didn't seem to be talking to anyone in particular. She took a deep breath and gave Sookie what was supposed to have been a patient smile but was more of a condescending sneer. "Sookie, baby, you cannot wear that getup to a vampire bar."

"And just why not?" Sookie asked. She was supposed to pretend to be offended but the pretending got less and less as Brandi talked to her like a brain damaged two year old. "I want to put my best foot forward. Gran would have my hide if I didn't put forth an effort when meeting new people."

"Exactly Sookie, with vampires the goal is to either blend in or completely stand out." Brandi responded as she was hit with sudden inspiration. She sat on the couch and motioned for Sookie to do the same. When they both were seated Brandi spoke again. "Look I think that I should explain a few things about vampires before you get us both killed."

"Killed?" Sookie let all the surprise and horror she could muster show on her face. "What do you mean killed? I thought you said that we were just going to a club."

"We are but this is not a regular club, it's a _vampire _club and that means that there are some rules that you need to abide by to keep us both safe."

Sookie acted as if she had to think about it for a moment before nodding. "Okay tell me what I need to know. I don't want to make a wrong move in front of vampires."

"Good because there are just a few things to keep in mind. First off vampires are blood thirsty and dangerous creatures that will take advantage of you if they sense that you don't know what you're doing. That's where I will come in. I have lived around them for so long that I will be able to steer you right where you need to be. I will keep the creeps away from you."

"Thanks, I really wouldn't know how to tell the creeps from the regular vampires. Are they so much different than human guys?"

"No, only if you tell them to buzz off they could drain you dry." Brandi seemed satisfied with Sookie's surprise. She just knew that Sookie would be the easiest lure ever. "Again, don't worry because I will be there to help you. If I tell you to run you run. If I tell you someone is okay then they're okay."

"And she's supposed to trust your judgment?" Jamal asked with more than a hint of disbelief in his voice.

"Do you want your friend to get hurt?" Brandi snapped at him. "Because I'm trying to teach her how to stay alive tonight."

"We would never allow anyone to hurt her." Jamal replied. "We would protect her with our lives."

"Yes that all sounds very nice until you have an immortal trying to drain you dry." She rolled her eyes and looked back at Sookie.

"Will I have to let someone bite me?" Sookie asked.

Brandi watched Sookie fidget nervously as she waited for an answer and her eyes (and mind) practically lit up. "No." She lied smoothly. "Not unless you want to offer yourself to a vampire." That's what her mouth said but in her mind she was already forming precarious positions where the only way for them to get out was for her to offer her body and Sookie to offer her blood. It would be a win-win situation, and she would come out smelling like roses because she as betting that Sookie would think that sharing a little blood would be the lesser of two evils; especially since she was supposedly married.

"Great, as long as I don't have to give anyone blood. I don't think my husband would approve." She stood up and smiled at everyone. "So let's go. I want to see what it's like at the bar."

"Hold it!" Brandi yelled before Sookie had taken two steps. "You have _got_ to change out of that outfit."

"Why? I think I look quite ladylike."

Jamal burst into laughter along with Anthony while Noah just smiled wider than before. Sookie gave them all the hairy eyeball and they shut up...though their shoulders kept moving in silent laughter. She didn't press the issue because she knew that this was as good as it was going to get for them. She just rolled her eyes and looked back at Brandi.

"Look I'm not going to sugar coat this. That dress is hideous and there's no way in hell you are going anywhere with me dressed like that. Look, you are going to stand out if you're dressed like that. Is that what you want? Do you want everyone to look down on you? I know you can't help your backwater tendencies but I'm here now to help you." Sookie scowled and counted to ten in her head. "You need to blend in."

"But you said that I need to either blend in or stand out." Sookie said. "I will stand out in this dress. What's wrong with that?"

"Sookie you look like the product of siblings in that dress."

"You have one more insult before I back hand you Brandi." Sookie warned.

Brandi waved her off. "Look, I just said that I was looking out for you so would you please trust that I am doing that now and go change. It's going to be hard enough to get in if this place is as hot as it's rumored to be. You need to keep a low profile until you are more comfortable with our surroundings. Everyone will be dressed like me. You need to be dressed like me also. If we dress like this then we will blend in with everyone else and no one will give us a second glance."

It sounded quite logical, except for the fact that Sookie could hear Brandi's thoughts. Brandi wasn't dressed to blend in but dressed in what she thought would make her stand out. She was thinking that if Sookie was dressed similarly then it would be even better bait. Brandi was dressed in a black leather tube dress. Her fake breasts were pushed dangerously upward. She accented her mini dress with gold hoop earrings, a thin gold necklace with a small capital "B" charm, and a matching anklet-also with a small capital "B" charm hanging from it. Her neck, the inside of her elbows, and her wrists were decorated in bite marks and she hadn't even tried to cover them at all. She finished off her outfit with four inch black spike heels. She looked as if she should have been carrying a whip. Her makeup was heavy, her eyes were just this side of being complete raccoons and her lips were fire engine red. She'd even dotted her skin next to her mouth so that it looked as if she had a mole...which wasn't good because she definitely didn't have a face for beauty marks.

"Two things." Sookie said after taking in what Brandi was wearing. "One, there's no way in hell I am wearing an outfit like that. Two, I don't have anything even similar here. All my clothes have been taken to my home in Shreveport."

"Then change back into what you had on earlier at Merlottes, because even that is better that."

"I actually saw a garmet bag still in your closet when I was helping you with that box earlier. Maybe something appropriate will be in it." Noah said.

"Yeah, and if not then you can put back on what you had on earlier." Jamal helped. "Because I hate to agree with that living pin cushion but there's no way I can in conscience let you leave this house in that get up."

"Okay fine." Sookie huffed. "I will go see what is upstairs."

She stomped her way back to her room and closed the door a little firmer than necessary before she allowed herself to break out in laughter. Pam was going to love this. Pam...maybe she should give her a heads up so that she will make sure that she'll see the whole show. Sookie didn't think that Pam would answer her call so she decided to send a text. She kept it short and simple. _Your apology is coming tonight._ She tossed her cell back on her bed before going to her closet to see what she really did have to wear. She knew that she had appropriate clothes because she and Eric had discussed leaving some things behind so that no matter where they were they both would have clothes that they may need for any given situation. So she wouldn't have as many choices as she did at the compound but she still had a nice selection.

She had different things for different occasions. She unzipped one garment bag after another trying to find something that struck her fancy. It wasn't until she'd reached the last garment bag that she saw a winner. An instant smile spread across her face and she pulled it from the closet and laid it out onto the bed. She absolutely loved that it looked so much like her wedding dress and Sookie did everything short of ripping Mrs. Fortenberry's dress from her body. She looked at the dress she'd decided on wearing and took off her bra too. There was no way that she would be able to wear a bra with it. She slipped the dress on and she fell in love with it all over again. Pam really did have great taste. Around the neck of the hanger hung a black bag that held the jewelry made specifically for this dress. She poured the jewelry on the bed and, piece by piece, put on all the jewelry. When she was done she went into the bathroom and stood in front of the full length mirror and she knew that Eric was going to be a very happy boy.

Her curly hair and soft makeup accented the dress perfectly. The dress was silver and had a straight line across her chest so that there was no cleavage at all. Two clear plastic strings a millimeter thick circled her arms and keeping the front of her dress from falling. The dress was made to fit closely with her body but it hung a little loose because all the straps hadn't been connected. There was a clear strap that crossed her back and connected on either side just below her breasts. The skirt hung straight and stopped three inches above her knees. She was going to need help with her jewelry so that she could secure everything as it was meant to be.

The jewelry in the back included a choker three diamonds thick. A chain hung off the back of the choker that was supposed to be pulled through a small platinum circle that was attached to the see through strap that crossed her back, and connected to the top of her skirt. Diamonds clung sporadically to the chain. Her platinum diamond hoop earrings were striking and attention getting but not nearly as much as her diamond bracelet that was three diamond thick. Good Lord she looked like she was drowning in diamonds.

"Noah!" Sookie called and a moment later there was a knock on her door. "Come in Noah. I need your help really quick."

"Of course Queen." He said calmly as he closed the door behind him. "How can I help?"

"Sorry, but I don't have Evelyn or even Susan and I need someone that can see what they're doing."

"It's fine." He assured her. "I'm happy to help."

"Thanks." She smiled and turned around slowly so that nothing would slip out. She grabbed the clear strap and held it a little away from her body so that Noah could see it. "I need you to lay this flat against my back and hook it to the other side of this dress." Noah followed her instruction and the top of the dress was pulled closer into her body, giving her the support that she needed in front. When he was done she spoke again. "Now take the chain that's falling from my choker and thread it through the small circle on that plastic strap and then hook it on the top of my skirt." When it was done Sookie turned around and smiled at him. "Well, how do I look?"

"Absolutely breathtaking my Queen." Noah replied. "I would say that it a vast improvement over the first choice."

Sookie laughed hard. "That thing is completely horrible, though after everyone's reaction I may have to keep it to torture Eric...ooh or better yet, Pam."

"That would indeed be interesting to see." Noah agreed with a slight smile. A moment later he looked completely serious. "Are you sure that this is a good idea?"

"Is it a good idea? No. Will I regret it? Maybe. Am I still going through with it? Most definitely." She smiled at Noah. "Besides I have you guys with me to protect me even if I don't need it. Eric will be there and so will Pam. Don't worry so much Noah. Nothing bad is going to happen."

Noah stared at her for a moment before he nodded. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah, just let me grab my shoes." Sookie replied. She went into the closet and grabbed a pair of silver three inch sandals. They had medium silver rings all over them but the rings were actually platinum. They clasped around her ankle and she walked over to the bed so that she could sit while she put them on. Noah offered her a hand when she was done and she took it.

Together they walked out to the living room and just stood there. Brandi was hitting on a mildly scared looking Anthony while Jamal laughed at them both. Neither Noah or Sookie spoke, they just watched the scene before them and waited for one of the trio to notice them. It wasn't a surprise to either of them that Jamal was the first to notice their arrival, seeing as how Anthony was doing everything short of punching Brandi to keep her at bay. Jamal's reaction was worth the wait though. His mouth dropped completely open and his eyes bugged out. He tried several times to speak but only managed a breathy "Wow." It was barely audible but it was enough to get Anthony's attention and by extension Brandi's. Both of their mouths dropped open at the sight of Sookie. She and Noah shared a smile and he motioned for her to step forward.

"What do you guys think?" Sookie asked as she gave everyone a little twirl. "I found it at the back of my closet. Does this seem vampire appropriate?"

"Sorry I can't answer you right now." Jamal said as he tried to shake the cobwebs from his brain. "My brain has seemed to have checked out. Try back in an hour or two."

Sookie blushed.

"You are a total and complete knock out." Anthony declared.

Brandi seemed to gather herself at the sound of the compliments from the others. If it were possible her whole body would have turned green. How was she supposed to get a rich vampires attention with that stupid bitch dressed like a million bucks? Sookie-fucking-Stackhouse... Brandi knew that Sookie always thought that she was better than everyone else, stupid hoe, and she was never fooled by that whole sweet and innocent routine that Sookie tried to shove down everyone else's throats. She let a carefully crafted smile curl her lips. Maybe the whore would be good for something just yet. Sookie was looking like the perfect vampire bait and Brandi would be holding the keys to her tonight. Yes it was definitely time to knock little miss perfect off her pedestal. This was going to be fun.

"You look wonderful!" Brandi gushed fakely. "But I think that I should give you a breakdown of what we are about to walk into."

"I thought we went through this already." Sookie replied.

"Yes, but there is more than that going on." Brandi responded as if it was the most obvious thing. "I've spent a lot of time around vampires in New York and there is a certain protocol that we must obey."

"Protocol?" Sookie asked. "I thought we were just going to go to a club and have fun?"

"We are." Brandi assured her quickly. "Remember when I said that you will need to do what I say when I say it? This is just a part of that."

"Okay...what do I need to know?"

"Vampires, for all of their blind feedings and lust, are very organized." Everyone stilled at this sentence but no one dared interrupt her. "Each state has a King or Queen that runs the whole thing. They divide the state up into areas and each area is looked after by a Sheriff. The Sheriff's have their own chain of command under them."

"Kings?" Sookie asked incredulously. "Queens and Sheriffs? You cannot be serious."

"Oh but I am." Brandi said as she preened under everyone's intense scrutiny. She liked instructing others. She liked knowing what others didn't know.

"But how did you find out about such a structure?" Jamal asked. "I heard that vampires were a sneaky and secretive bunch."

She gave Jamal and unfriendly look. "They don't tell just anyone, but I have friends in high places." It was in that moment that one of the last conversations she had before leaving New York replayed through her mind.

_"So I hear that you are from Louisiana?" A man's voice asked coolly. He was a visitor to the kingdom and was offered his pick of the women to dine on. The girls, and some guys, had all tried to gain his attention but it was Brandi he had chosen. They were sitting in his room as he watched her strip for him._

_"Yes, a small backwater of a town." She answered as she turned with a coy smile. "I am so glad to have escaped that hell hole. I love it here."_

_He didn't reply at first just hummed his appreciation of her body. "I was in Louisiana for business, in fact that's just where I came from. I loved the...southern hospitality."_

_Brandi laughed. "Some things stay with you no matter how far you've gone." She shook her ass as she let her dress fall to the ground. She let her lips turn into a smirk as she saw his eyes widen a bit and him lick his lips. "Would you like me to show you how hospitable us southerners can be?"_

_"Of course." He replied and that was all she needed. They were a tangle of limbs._

For some reason her mind became a bit fuzzy here and it was hard to see what happened. It was like there was an impression but no visual to confirm it. It was one of the oddest things that Sookie had ever seen, in fact, she had never seen anything like it ever before. It wasn't the gaping hole that a vampire's glamour would leave, nor was it a flat picture that she sees when a vampire had replaced a humans memory. Sookie focused and tried to push past the haze but even then it was broken.

_"I want to keep you with me always." He said as they laid wrapped up in each other._

_"I want that too."_

_"But you have to do something for me first before you can truly be mine."_

_"Anything."_

_"Go home, find Sookie Stackhouse..." _The haze was too much to get through. Sookie closed her eyes and tried to push through but it was no use. Whatever he was doing was more powerful than any kind of glamour she'd ever seen. She pulled back and let Brandi's mind move forward through the haze. It was another moment before there was something coherent.

_"They call her Crazy Sookie. She used to follow me around like a sick puppy."_

_"Then this should take no time at all." He smiled at her. "All you have to do is to convince her to..."_ Things faded out once more but it was only for a few seconds before it came back. _"If you have any trouble use it."_

_"No problem." Brandi replied with a smile. "Aren't you hungry?" She asked. "Don't you want to bite me?"_

_"It would be my pleasure." He pulled back with a devious smile before his face lunged at Brandi and her mind went to a black swirl. _

It was then that his face finally came into focus. Dragxin...Noah jerked Sookie's arm and she spun out of her seat. Her back was pressed firmly against his chest and she could feel his chest heaving with his deep breaths. Anger was rolling off of him and she knew he was trying to control himself. Even if she didn't have his presence in her mind she didn't think that anyone would have been impossible to not notice Noah's change in demeanor. Jamal and Anthony reacted to the change immediately, both of them stepping in front of them.

_"What's wrong Noah?"_ Sookie thought to him?

_"You were projecting to me." _He thought back. _"I heard saw it all. Do you wish for us to secure her now?"_

_"No, we get her to Eric first."_

_"Even better. I heard that there's a place for interrogation at Fangtasia."_

Sookie didn't quite know how to reply to that so she didn't. She wondered whether or not she had projected what she saw to Anthony and Jamal too so she scanned their minds. They were both on alert but were waiting for Sookie and Noah to direct them to the threat. They didn't know what was wrong but the way Noah hugged Sookie protectively to his body, they knew that there was something. They both waited to see where they were needed. That was an interesting tidbit, the fact that Noah picked up what she was seeing but the other two didn't.

Sookie's abrupt movement seemed to jerk Brandi out of her own mind. She looked around the room to see where Sookie had disappeared to only to find her cuddled up with her _friend_ Noah. A small smile spread across her lips. The way those three were hanging all over her was a sure sign that maybe she wasn't as lily white as she tried to portray herself as being.

"What's the problem?" Brandi asked. "I am trying to explain something important here."

"Why are you here?" Noah asked instead of answering her question.

"Trying to explain some things that are important to Sookie." Brandi huffed.

"No, I mean what are you doing here in Bon Temps?"

"That's not any of your business." She glared at him. "I came to see my family."

She didn't say it but Sookie saw that Brandi had gotten a call from her sister saying that her mom had been sick. Brandi was hoping to convince her mother to sign over the house so she could sell it or to give her some of her Grandmother's jewelry so she could sell it. Both were things that Sookie knew for a fact Brandi's mom would never do. She couldn't believe what she was hearing and because of the way Noah's hand tightened around her wrist she knew Noah couldn't believe what he was hearing either. She laid her free hand over his wrist and he eased his grip.

"We need to get going before my husband begins to wonder what I'm doing." Sookie said as she smiled at the room. She tapped Noah's wrist and he let go of hers. She walked back over to the couch and sat next to Brandi. "Please tell me about the...vampire royalty. What does that have to do with us going out tonight?"

"Well the place where we're going I've heard belongs to the Sheriff. I don't know if we will actually see him tonight but if we do, do as the other vampires do. Do no approach him. Do not make eye contact with him. Do not do anything. The good thing is that you can tell who is in charge by the way the other vampires act around them. It will be the one that bows to no one but everyone bows to. I am telling you this because Sheriff's, Kings, Queens are all above the law so it's best to just not engage them at all period. We've already went over how to deal with other vampires, so I guess we are ready to go."

"Do you know what the Sheriff looks like?"

"No but I heard that it's a woman."

"Okay, well I'm ready if you are."

"Great then, lets blow this...popsicle stand."

They all got up and followed Brandi out of the door. Jamal was the last out the house so he made sure to lock the door behind everyone. He caught the eye of a guard he saw in the trees and nodded to him. "We will follow you since there's so many of us and you're the one that knows where this bar is."

"No problem, keep close." Brandi agreed barely looking in his direction. She wanted to be alone so that she could make a call, though she didn't know why. She just knew that since she saw Sookie she needed to call her man and let him know. It was almost a compulsion. She hopped into the car and drove back down hummingbird lane. She could see a black Navigator behind her. She fished her phone out her glove box and began dialing as she took off for the high way.

"She's been glamoured, only not." Sookie said as soon as they were alone in the car. She let Jamal drive again and happily sat in the back seat with Noah. "I've never seen glamour do what it's done to her mind. Whatever happened to her is something far stronger."

"Who was that man I saw at the end of the haziness." Noah asked. "Your heart skipped a beat when you realized who it was only I couldn't hear who it was. You froze, you didn't project that."

"Dragxin." Sookie breathed. "The man you saw her with was Dragxin. He's posing as a vampire in New York and he took Brandi as a gift." She said out loud for Anthony and Jamal's benefit. "He put some super strong whammy on her and I don't know what he wants from her but it would be safe to say that she is under his control."

"Then why are we not securing her?" Jamal asked as he kept pace with Brandi's rapid driving.

"Because she is calling him right now." Noah said as he looked at Sookie. "You're not projecting are you?"

"No, but I'm not blocking my mind either. I rarely do anymore with you guys. Y'all are like a low hum in my mind all the time. I don't block it but I don't listen in either."

"We need a plan." Jamal said.

"I need to call Eric." Sookie replied already pulling out her cell.

"Perhaps something a little more secure?" Noah asked. He touched his forehead when all Sookie did was stare at him.

"Duh." Sookie laughed at herself before she dropped the wall between her mind and Eric's.

_"You must be close Lover; I am excited to see how this plays out."_

_"Me too but there's been some...uh, developments."_

_"Show me."_ Sookie focused and replayed everything she saw in Brandi's mind.

TBC

A/N: I hope that was worth the wait. Please let me know what you think.


	40. Chapter 40

Disclaimer: No matter how much I wish it, I do not own any of the characters that appear in any of the Charlaine Harris books. Everyone else belongs to me.

A/N: There is so much to say to you all on this chapter but I will not make you wait. I am proud of how this chapter turned out and I must admit that it's one of my favorites. I hope it becomes one of yours too. Enjoy.

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**Assent To Love**

**Chapter 40**

Eric sat in the receiving room at the compound with Pam when Sookie opened her mind for the second time that night. He waved his hand and Pam pulled the vampire, whom she had just admitted, from the room. She closed the door and leaned against it, watching Eric as she waited for what was going on. His entire body tensed and in the next moment she was right in front of him.

"It seems as if we have more than one reason to go to the club tonight." Eric said as he finally returned his attention to his child. "Is there anything pressing that I need to hear tonight?"

"Ten vampires want to check in though three of them are just stopping on their way through to Arkansas. Other than that it's just a couple approvals of businesses."

"Bring me the proposals for the businesses and have them all meet me at the club. I will conduct business there tonight."

"Why? What does the Mistress want?"

Eric regarded his child for a moment. The first time Sookie contacted him, he was alone and he decided not to ruin the surprise. He wanted their friendship to be mended just as much as either of them but he wanted them to work it out on their own. They had a long time to be together and he couldn't step in the middle of every dispute or misunderstanding.

"It seems like we are going to need to prepare out interview room in the basement of the club." She didn't reply but her eyes sparkled. Sometimes it was such a simple thing that made Pam happy, he was just hoping that she would be satisfied. "Sookie will meet us there." He continued but as soon as he mentioned his wife's name the sparkle in his child's eye turned hard and cold.

"I will disburse the line as requested." She said as she turned for the door. "How soon do we leave?"

"Immediately." Eric said, repressing a sigh.

He opened his phone and called his guards to get his transport ready while he waited for Pam to return. She was back a minute later with several folders in her arms and followed him out. He told her that he was going to go and change and Pam made herself comfortable in the kitchen. Susan brought her a heated blood as she continued to clean the kitchen for the night.

Eric changed as quickly as he could before calling his head of security to make sure that everything was in place. Eric had been to the club many times since his return to Shreveport but did everything he could to avoid sitting on his throne. Pam had been the one to suggest that he find an oddity to take his place on the throne. He readily agreed but continued to sit there once a week until he was able to find someone.

It had taken a few weeks but he soon got the call he was looking for from Queen Arsinoe. She said that she heard he was looking for an unusual character and she'd just met the perfect guy. His name was London, at least the name that he used currently, and he'd been travelling the world for the last two centuries and was looking for a place to settle for a while. He had long wavy black hair that went almost to his behind and the most vivid green eyes she had ever seen. He seemed to intrigue everyone who entered his presence. He sounded attractive enough but Eric didn't know if he was enough until she mentioned his tattoos. London was covered in ancient writing and symbols of long dead languages. They told many stories of which only one was about him.

It was then that Eric realized who they were speaking about. He asked if she knew who London's maker was. When she told him that it was Gregon, Eric was sold. He negotiated London's release and the next night London stood in front of him. Eric told him what he wanted him for and London agreed after some convincing. When Eric got home that night he was on cloud nine and couldn't wait to tell Sookie about his new acquirement. She asked him what was so special about this mystery man with strange tattoos.

"Simple, he's the best fighter around." Eric explained to her. "I would say that he could have even bested me in a fight. It's not just his tattoos but what they represent."

"And that is?"

"His heritage; where he comes from." Sookie continued looking at Eric blankly so he explained. "The story of London, Gregon, and The Unnamed One is a legend among the vampires and well known among every other supernatural. The Unnamed One isn't called that because his name his taboo but because he's so old that no one remembers it. He's one of the oldest if not _the _oldest of our kind."

"What about the Ancient Pythoness?" Sookie asked. "I thought she was the oldest."

"It's true that she's one of the oldest around but the difference between her and The Unnamed One is the difference between a grandfather and his grandchild. The Unnamed One, The Ancient Pythoness, Gregon, and maybe four or five others are the only ones among us that has lived long enough to be considered Ancient among us; and The Unnamed One is considered to predate them all."

"So is he where vampirism comes from?"

"I would think not since someone had to turn him too, but if anyone had an educated guess it would be him...and he's not talking. Anyway, a few centuries before the Pythoness was turned-give or take a century-it is said that The Unnamed one became enamored by Gregon when he came across a battle that had spilled from day to night. It wasn't how he was the best fighter on the field or how his own and the opposing fighters both gave him a wide berth, but the amazing contradiction that made him take one man's head but spare another. The contradiction that made him slaughter everything in his path one moment but tend to the needs of a dying soldier in the next. It's said that when he was stolen away from his camp by the night, he actually managed to bleed The Unnamed One and _that's_ what sealed his destiny.

"From that time Gregon was schooled in the ways of the vampire. From time to time they would part but never for long. They had an odd relationship that allowed their bond to grow from mutual respect and love and not only from violence and the destruction of a person's being, as is the case for most makers and their children. Before Gregon was turned The Unnamed One tattooed his skin with his stories and his histories so that whoever came upon him would know who they were dealing with."

"Like an insignia ring that some ancient royals had taken to wearing?" Sookie asked.

Eric smiled at her as she curled up on the bed in his daytime resting place. She looked so innocent to him in that moment. She looked like a child that was so drawn into a story she forgot that there was anything else around. He loved her innocence and was happy to see that it still remained though their most recent trials.

"Yes, just like an insignia ring. It's said that The Unnamed One's actual name, but more likely his marking of identification, is among the tattoos but the writings predate almost everyone in existence, therefore there's no one who could translate to find out if it's the truth. Along with the markings of his history, The Unnamed One also tattooed the story of how he came across his first child and made him vampire."

"So when he was turned the tattoos remained...like the ones that Godric had." She stated instead of asked. Eric nodded. "Do we know how Gregon came across London?"

Eric smirked when she said _we_ but didn't comment. "Yes and no." He answered honestly and it was all that he could do not to collapse in a fit of hysteria at the indignant look she reserved for someone trying to take the last slice of chocolate cake. From her memory, he knew that Tara had quite a few near misses when they were younger.

"Yes, we know the how, we just don't know the why."

Sookie scowled at him. "Explain." She ordered him sounding more like him than she would ever want pointed out.

"The Unnamed One and Gregon were traveling in Somewhere in Old Britannia when they happened across a man fighting off five attackers. It was to the point where one pulled his sword and pierced the man's lung. The man spat up blood as he broke the swordsman's neck. He broke another's neck before he fell to his knees involuntarily. Another was about to finish the man off when Gregon intervened and snapped ones neck while draining the other. The fifth man tried to run but The Unnamed One caught him and drained him.

"When Gregon finished draining one of the attackers he locked eyes with the man who uttered only two words to him. _Save me!_ Gregon didn't think about it, he just bit his wrist and placed it at the man's mouth. After a few mouthfuls he ripped the sword from his body and bit into the palm of his free hand and rubbed his blood over the wound. Seeing what his child was doing, The Unnamed One tossed his dinner aside and bit into the man's neck before anyone realized he'd moved. He drained the man faster than the man could replace the blood and he passed out. The Unnamed One ordered Gregon to clean up their mess and then to find them at their day spot. The Unnamed One traveled on the wind to get the man to their shelter before it was too late. By the time that Gregon came upon them, the man's torso was covered in blood and ink. Gregon helped his maker finish his work. He was about to give the man more blood but The Unnamed One told him no and bit his own wrist to feed the man. The man regained consciousness and fed ravenously. He only paused once when his body started to jerk violently. He looked at The Unnamed One and spoke a short prayer before he grabbed his wrist again and continued to feed. When he'd had enough The Unnamed One disengaged him and he buried the man with Gregon. The Unnamed One stood sentinel over the grave until the third night when he dug them up. It was to everyone's surprise when a tattoo that shouldn't have been there appeared around the man's neck. It was the short prayer he had spoken earlier written, in a language he couldn't possibly have known, around his neck. It was the same language that The Unnamed One used to write his own story on the man's back, different from the one that The Unnamed One and Gregon had written Gregon's story on his chest and the short story of how they came upon the man that they had written on his left arm."

"This man was London?" Sookie asked even though she already knew the answer.

"Yes."

"Then why didn't you just call him London?"

"Because that's not his name. It's just the alias he's choosing to go by at the moment."

"So what's his real name?"

"I don't know. No one knows why but his true name has been a closely guarded secret between the three men for centuries."

"So if I were to ask him?"

"He'd probably give you a name to pacify you or he could actually tell you."

"But you're thinking of the former rather than the latter."

"And you are thinking of dipping into his mind."

"Am not!" Sookie protested but her voice was an octave too high and she answered way too quickly to be convincing. Eric just raised an eyebrow at her in challenge. "Okay fine, so I was thinking about it."

"Don't do it Sookie."

"Why not, I know you want to know as badly as I do."

"Yes and when you are done maybe we can chain him in silver and cut away all his clothes. We can sodomize him and abuse him in every way we could possibly think of."

"Dramatic much?" Sookie asked slightly annoyed and disgusted.

"Not hardly. I just believe that if we are going to violate someone then we should do it completely."

"You listen to people all the time."

"Yes for our safety. I have no problems entering anyone's mind if it means keeping us safe. But I will not do it because I want some old questioned answered like 'what's your real name'. What happened to the girl that wanted to be left alone in her mind?"

Sookie was quiet...and stunned. Of course he was right, but admitting it (even in her own head) was hard to take. She thought over Eric's words, not because of what he said but how he said it. There was more to it than simply wanting to respect London's privacy. "You respect him." She ventured out loud.

"Gregon and The Unnamed One have both long since dropped from sight. It's been a thousand years since anyone has spotted Gregon, and almost twice that for The Unnamed One. London is the only foothold we have to the ancients. All the others, barring the Pythoness, watch from the shadows. They don't interact in this world like everyone else. We can feel them there but no one ever sees them...and if you do see one it's for a damn good reason."

"I'm sorry. I won't look into London's head. I guess I let my inner adventurer get away from me."

"I want your word Sookie."

She sighed before agreeing. "I give you my word Eric."

"Thank you." He pulled her into a hug.

"So how old is London anyway?"

"Fifteen hundred...maybe sixteen."

"Give or take a century?" Sookie laughed because it was unimaginable to her, even still. After that they'd relaxed again and he told her the rest of what he knew about London, Gregon, and The Unnamed One.

Eric shook his head to bring himself back to the present as he changed into a long sleeved dress shirt that was charcoal with thin white pinstripes and clung to every muscle he possessed. He rolled the sleeves up his forearms and tucked his shirt into a pair of custom dark washed blue jeans that the designer tailor made to fit him. He made sure to add his leather belt with the metal Viking ship that was his and Sookie's favorite. He put on a fresh pair of shiny black boots before he grabbed his phone and the rest of his belongings to head back down stairs.

"Let's go Pam." He said as he walked into the kitchen. She stood to go and he bid farewell to Susan.

"Is there anything more you need me for tonight Mr. Northman?" She asked him.

"No, you may go home now."  
"Thank you sir. Goodnight Ms. Childs."

"Susan." Pam returned with a small smile and a nod of her head.

"Lay out the proposals for me Pam."

"Okay but before I do I should give you my update on Stackhouse." She waited for him to acknowledge her words before she continued. "Nothing has changed. He keeps to his job for the city. At night he's still staying home. He's only gone out twice and that's when his friends drag him out. On the full moon he still sticks to the forest around his property."

"Have our guards been integrated?"

"Yes. He's bought the stories of them being loners and has granted them permission to spend the full moons on his property so that they could be safe from the other packs."

"Anything else?"

"Not a thing." Pam replied promptly. "It's sad really, he's wasted away to a shell of himself but he is still strong and healthy. He seems to have lost that certain...Stackhouseness that draws people in."

"My heart is breaking for him." Eric drawled. "Will you please hold me?"

Pam couldn't help her laughter, though she really thought it was a messed up situation. She fully came down on the side of her master but still...he was a tasty morsel, now he's barely recognizable-such a waste. She wanted to put him out of his misery but he's been place under the protection of the Queen and therefore untouchable.

Sookie had made sure that Jason had guards to watch him and make sure that he didn't do anything stupid. They had been instructed not to interfere in his life unless he does something stupid. They had fished him out of the lake behind his house once when he got smashed and decided to walk on the dock. He almost drowned but they saved him. They pulled him from the water and made sure he was breathing before they called 911 from his house. When the ambulance arrived they disappeared and watched from afar while the EMT's discovered Jason's unconscious form on their own.

Eric had gone a step beyond that and ordered two of the rotating guards to integrate themselves into his life as a lone wolf and a lone mountain lion. Their cover story was that they were in love and left their packs when it was discovered. Both men escaped with their lives but now had nowhere to go. Eric knew that Jason was tolerant because he had had a gay friend and coworker a few years earlier in Lafayette before he was killed and Jason proved him right.

All the guards gave double reports. Sookie's reports usually came via one of her guards because she didn't want to be able to see anything about Jason in anyone's mind. The guards usually reported to Eric either directly or through Pam, depending on how busy he was.

"Just run me through the proposals for tonight before we get to the club."

Pam rolled her eyes, like she always did when he ordered her to do something. She opened each business proposal one by one and spoke at vampire speed as to it's merits of each one while Eric looked at the literature that was included. By the time the limo was pulled to the back entrance she had finished the last one and was looking at Eric smugly.

"Good girl you want a bone?" He asked sarcastically.

"Oh yes Master please." She replied just as sarcastic. "I've been an awful good girl this year."

Eric laughed as they got out and headed into the building and towards his old office, which was now Pam's office. "Okay fine. I guess we can afford it this year. You go pick out which one you want and I promise to buy it for you."

Pam rolled her eyes again. "That's okay. It's not nearly as much fun as it is when I could take them from you." She sighed dramatically. "Oh well, I guess I can go find my own..._bone._"

"Good, this way it will mean more to you."

"Cute." She drawled. "Is there anything else you need from me? I want to get out to the pit before all the good _bones_ are taken."

"No you can go. I will take one more look at these proposals and I will call you when to send the first one in." Pam nodded and made it to the door before Eric stopped her again. "Oh and Pam, let all the vampires know that it's by order of the King that no one is to bow to their Queen tonight when she arrives. They will show their respect by a nod of their head."

"Why?"

"I have my reasons."

"Care to share?"

"I didn't when you asked me the first time. Why would I share now?" He asked even though he didn't expect a reply. Pam met his gaze for a full minute before she lowered her eyes submissively and gave a nod. When she left Eric turned back to the files in front of him. He then logged onto his old computer and pulled up everything he knew on everyone involved in each venture.

And that's exactly how he remained until he felt warmth pour into his chest...

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_AN UNDISCLOSED LOCATION_

Fuck his life! He was on his last leg and something had to go because this shit wasn't working anymore. The thing was he didn't know what wasn't working anymore. He had never had the types of problems that he's experienced over this last year or so. It seemed as if everything was going completely to shit and he didn't know why.

They'd plotted and planned and researched every possible angle. She was perfect to suit their needs. All they had to do was stick to the plan and everything would be perfect. It probably would have been if it wasn't for _her_. Normally she was the best but for some reason she'd been losing focus, too busy making plans for the end instead of focusing on what needs to be done to get them there. He thought that the power she was given to ensure their project was going to her head...and not in a good way.

Lilith was the most beautiful being Dragxin had ever seen. Lilith was the most horrific being that Dragxin had ever met. That really said something seeing as how Dragxin was born from darkness, by darkness, and into darkness. There hadn't ever been anything else for him. He was a soldier, a damn good one at that. His mind worked paces in front everyone else and yet he couldn't figure out how this mission had become so convoluted.

This was a new feeling for him, losing, he hadn't experienced it before. He was handpicked to be Lilith's second in command for the simple fact that he'd always completed his missions come Hell or high water, pardon the pun. He had proven himself far and above his counterparts. He was one of the few that could even intimidate an Archangel. When he was told that he was chosen to head this most sacred of missions he thought that he was finally getting recognized for all the hard work he's been putting in. When he was told that he would second Lilith he was completely blown away. He felt slighted to so grievously looked over but did he whine and bitch? No, he fell into line and gave his all to this mission like he's given to every other.

It wasn't that Lilith was unqualified to head the project. He just felt that it was something that suited his way of doing better than hers. So much has gone wrong that he didn't know if any could be salvaged. But he would try. Everyone would try...it definitely beat the alternative. All the same Lilith seemed to be focusing on the losses rather than refocusing and adapting.

They knew that there were only a set group of people that fit the parameters needed for their mission. They needed a telepath from the United States of America. There are only twenty telepaths in the whole of the US. Ten of them are out of the age range needed, be it too young or old. Three spend limited time in what's nicknamed 'The Human Realm'. They hunted down the rest and a process of elimination put an early expiration on five. They didn't know where to even start looking for another telepath. The last two of the twenty were two that they had the least information on. Unlike the rest they had no dealings with the supernatural. They were off the proverbial radar. It wasn't until something extraordinary happened that lead them to the proverbial front door of their last two chances.

Sookie Elizabeth Stackhouse of Bon Temps, Louisiana and Barry Meyer Horowitz AKA "Barry Bellboy" of Dallas, Texas were the last two of twenty they have been looking for. Dragxin was charged with his extraction and it was flawless. He changed his appearance to a beautiful woman who stayed in the hallway next door and a chance meeting was all it took for him to be successful. As soon as they stepped out onto the curb Dragxin disappeared with Barry in tow. He sent a cleanup crew to cover any tracks he may have left...which was nothing.

They had learned so much from Barry. He was so much stronger than every other telepath they'd encountered. He passed every test, survived every situation. They learned how to teach their soldiers how to think so that their thoughts were not readily available to him. He was thought to be the one that they were looking for, but alas his body couldn't sustain even if his mind was willing. Dragxin wanted to repair the telepath. He wasn't the telepath that they needed but he wasn't completely useless. He could have been very useful to them. He made his case to Lilith but she overruled him...and Barry lost his head.

Despite his success in attaining Barry, Lilith commanded Lex the demon were-bear to retrieve the Louisiana native. Lex was a decorated fighter. His mother was a pure were-bear that was known as a great fighter in the human realm. Her clan was fierce and her father was the pack leader. She was a prized trophy meant to unite their clan with another dominate bear clan. It was the cunning of his father, part demon-part fae, that shot all those plans to hell. He posed as a pack-less bear and mated with Lex's mother during the full moon. Her father tried to avenge the rite taken from him but was defeated. Her suitor also tried to avenge the rite and restore his claim but he too was defeated. It was his superior fighting in defending the rite he had not asked for but took that recognized him as rightful in his claim.

His seed had already taken root and within just a few months Lex was born. He immediately stood out and above the other bears in the clan. He wasn't born a baby but a bear. He stayed in his bear form for the first year of his life. It was after that he was able to take his human form. His fighting skills were far and above any of the children he played with. By the time he was ten he was defeating adults in mock battles. He went through the ceremonial rites of passage and was deemed the pack protector, a title that he was always successful in.

For a hundred and thirty years he stood as sentinel for his clan. It wasn't until an unscrupulous leader came to power that everything changed. Lex found the leader...sampling the young girls and boys of the packs. When he confronted the leader the leader vowed to give away his rite to lead. He framed Lex instead and Lex killed him. The clan rose against Lex and cast him out of their clan for killing their leader. It was then that the darkness was able to take hold of him. He never let it take over him completely though and he kept watching out for his clan from afar.

He had never met an opponent that he couldn't defeat...that is until he was sent to Nowhere, Louisiana to retrieve their last chance. Eric the Norseman had succeeded where no one else could. He not only defeated Lex, but seemed to do it with complete ease.

"You are thinking too hard." A wizened voice said. Dragxin turned to find Octavia standing there looking like anyone's grandma. He knew better than to just dismiss the old woman though.

"Octavia, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Nothing, I just like to roam. The movement helps me think."

"Have you been with Amelia again?"

"Not today." Octavia replied. If he didn't know any better he would think she sounded sad. "That girl won't be alive for much longer."

"She has amazing will to have resisted for so long."

"Yes, she is a very willful child."

"I can't help but wonder how hard you've been trying to break her."

"And what is that supposed to mean?" She snapped.

"It means that you are fond of the girl."

"Of course I am!" She all but yelled. "She is supposed to be my successor. Amelia is the most powerful natural witch that I have ever come across. She has naturally what many sell their souls in order to obtain."

"Including you."

"I would watch my tongue if I were you." She warned, her voice positively deadly. "This ramshackle of an offense would be dead in the water if it weren't for me. I wouldn't piss me off if I were you. We may be on the same side but my allegiance is _not_ to you. Make no mistake about it."

"Like I would ever turn my back on you old woman." He scoffed. "But if you are as powerful as you claim to be then why is it taking so long for her. If she's as powerful as you claim then she could provide us with much."

"The fact that she hasn't broken yet should be all the proof you need as to her power. While her body is deteriorating her mind is very much intact. I have taught her well and she can see through our illusions. We cannot strip her of her free will...not even here."

"Then why are you here bothering me instead of working on the little witch before her body gives out completely?"

"Because you need to bring the blond vampire to our side."

"The Norseman will never come over."

"Not Eric, but his child Pamela."

"Why what is she to me?"

"She is your way into the Northman camp. If you can bring her over then you can break the Northmans from the inside. We both know that now that they've come into their powers, only they have the ability to destroy themselves."

"And me gaining Pam will help this along? How?"

"Eric depends on his child just as much as she depends on him to be her master. She's a building block in his DNA. He will go one of two ways. If she falls to us he will either refuse to kill her- and that will give her the chance to kill him, or he will do everything he can to kill her so that she is released from our dominion. If we can draw him in by dangling his child in his face then I will be able to weave magic in order to bind her death to capture him."

"We were unable to draw Sookie in with her brother's supposed betrayal. How can you be so sure that the same thing won't happen with the Norseman? How can you be sure that he will be so captured?"

"Sookie, though she cares for her brother, is separate from him. They have the same parents and upbringing but he is not a part of her. Pam is a literal part of Eric. Because he is her maker his blood is the blood that flows through her. Even if she was drained dry and given the blood of someone completely unconnected it will still call to Eric as his own because once it enters Pam, it becomes a part of his DNA. Pam has Eric's DNA. She is not her own person, she is his person. He only allows her liberties of indulgence.

"To destroy Pam will cause a blow to Eric like no other. To make Eric the one to snuff out her life's light is something so amazing, so horrific that the darkest of magic can pull the maker into entrapment of the child's state."

"But if he kills her then her state will be death. Does this mean that it will kill him to?"

"Unfortunately this is the darkest of magic. Therefore there is no person alive that has seen it done. My educated guess is that it wouldn't kill him, but weaken him so severely that killing him would be as easy as breaking the neck of a baby."

"I will think this over."

"Good, let me know what you decide. I will need time to prepare so that I can be ready to go at a moment's notice."

"Very interesting." The most beautiful and horrific voice Dragxin had ever head spoken. Both he and Octavia turned their heads sharply to see Lilith slinking towards them with a fluidity that water would envy. "I didn't know you were promoted above me Dragxin. Are congratulations in order?"

"No Lilith, they are not." He said in a bored voice. He was so tired of her. It was too bad that she was more than five times older than he was, with the power to reflect it, or he would be happily kill her and usurp her power. But he was jealous of his life and he would not choose his battle to his potential death on a whim. "We were just speaking."

"So I hear." She smiled beatifically at them. "Such plotting and planning. Should it not go through your general?"

"I wanted a second opinion before I presented my thoughts to you." Octavia said though her words were so hollow that everyone could hear the echo within. "I know how valuable your time is."

"Indeed."

"Who am I kidding?" Octavia continued. "I wanted to speak with someone who would actually listen to my wisdom. Seeing as how Dragxin is your second in command, speaking to him is like speaking to you...only with a sense of fulfillment of actually being heard."

Dragxin laughed as Lilith screamed. "How dare you filthy human! Don't forget that you are only alive on my whim."

"Don't delude your self importance _honey_." Octavia sneered. "_His_ whim is what keeps me alive and well and serving _him_...not you. As I had to remind Dragxin. We may be on the same side but I do not, nor will I ever, serve you. You need to stop drinking the kool aid."

A black cloud formed around Lilith as her anger got the better of her. Neither Dragxin or Octavia saw her move as one moment she was standing in front of them fuming and the next she held Octavia off the ground by her neck. Suddenly they were all cast into darkness. Dragxin heard Lilith growl harshly and then Octavia laugh maniacally before both were abruptly cut off. He didn't dare move or even breath as the living darkness encased them all.

When the darkness receded Octavia was nowhere to be found and Lilith had once again composed herself. Her eyes had bled completely black and the veins under her skin now showed their patterns in a charcoal color. Lilith was high on the power of the darkness. He kept his face completely neutral and waited for her to command him. She smiled at him like a naughty child who knew they weren't going to get into trouble by their parent.

"How is our latest plan going?" She finally asked like nothing had just happened.

"Going along as planned. Brandi will call me when she has encountered Sookie."

"Do you trust her?"

"Not at all, but she will call me when the trap has been set and I will take it from there. If this succeeds then we will have her. If it doesn't we will at the very least know exactly how much the Angels are protecting Sookie and the Norseman. It's a win-win situation, the girl or invaluable information."

"Good." She nodded. "Our window is getting smaller the more time we let go by."

"I know." He agreed. "I think that we should also put Octavia's plan into works. It would be prudent of us to double our efforts. It couldn't hurt. Besides, if we could somehow subdue the Norseman it would be easier to get our hands on the girl. We need to do all we can especially since my hold on Bill Compton has been broken."

"I agree." She replied easily. She walked away a bit further before she turned around and her black eyes flashed at him. "You are but a child to. Do not make me punish you. You are a good second in command but if I ever catch you plotting against me I will end you in the worse way I could think of."

He couldn't say what he really wanted to say to her so he just stayed solid and nodded. He could tell by the way her solid black eyes watched him that she was already plotting against him. Something inside him told him that she had already thrown the gauntlet and it was just a matter of time before she killed him. She could see his mind racing behind his calm facade and she knew that her unsaid words were not lost on him. That is why he was her second in command. He knew the power structure, and he had a superior mind. He is worthy of being put to death by her. She smiled once more before she disappeared.

Dragxin sighed and closed his eyes. Lilith was such a fucking crazy bitch. He needed to gather people to his side without getting her attention. He opened his eyes only to be encased once again in darkness. Again he stayed still as the living darkness rolled over his body.

"Do you accept me?" A base voice asked him though he knew he was once again alone...well relatively speaking.

"I do my Lord, always." He answered with the greatest conviction.

"Do you serve me?" The base voice asked. It sounded almost like a beautiful melody.

"Above all others my Lord."

"Do you love me?" The voice asked without missing a beat.

"With all that I am my Lord." He said because it was true.

As soon as he finished his last word the living darkness stopped caressing his body and began pounding into him. All the breath was pushed from his body and it felt as if he was being forced through a key hole. A great power rush filled him and he felt his every muscle lengthen and strengthen itself. He threw his head back and roared at the intensity of it all and as soon as he opened his mouth the darkness rushed from around him and poured itself through his mouth into his very being.

"You have never disappointed me my child." The bass voice told him. "She has served me very well also. You are now on even ground. Whoever wins the fight between the two of you will be brought to my side as my reign begins. Do you accept my gift?"

"I accept all that you are and all that you give me." Dragxin said as he began rolling his shoulders and flexing his now reinforced muscles.

He felt a ripple of power all around him that brought him to his knees. A moment later it was gone and he was able to stand. He didn't need a mirror to know that that his eyes were solid black. He looked at his strong arms and traced the charcoal lines that represented the darkness that now resided in his veins. _So this is what it felt like to be Lilith's age._ He thought to himself. All of a sudden he could understand how she would trip out on power. This felt..._unbelievable_.

His phone rang and he smiled knowing that it could only be one person. "Hello Brandi." He purred.

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They watched Brandi park in the crowded parking lot but they didn't follow her. Jamal pulled around back to their usual parking space.

"Man it looks like all of Shreveport came out tonight." Anthony said as they walked back around front.

"I bet that someone put out the word that Eric would be in attendance again tonight." Jamal replied.

"Don't the like the new guy?" Noah asked.

"Oh they love him but there's no one quite like Eric." Sookie laughed.

When they turned the corner they almost ran into a fangbanger at the back of the line that was coming all the way around the building. They found Brandi about twenty people down.

"Hey where did y'all go?" Brandi asked once she spotted them.

"We had to park around back because there were no more spaces out front."

"Oh, well come on you can get in line with me."

"Hey no cutting!" A fang banger said.

Sookie looked at the girl that was far too pale and covered in way too many bites and smile. "Sorry. We wouldn't dream of cutting."

The girl instantly recognized Sookie as the Master's companion and her mouth dropped open. The rumors must be true. If she was there then he would be here tonight too. This is going to be her lucky night. She opened her mouth to say something but Jamal spoke before she could make a sound.

"Why would we need to stand in line?" He asked. "Didn't you say you had some pull? Can't you just drop a name or two and get us in?"

"I-well uh I don't like to throw my weight around." She covered. "I'm just like everyone else."

"Is that your way of saying that you have no pull at all and you are trying to save face?" Jamal sneered.

"No!" Brandi replied outraged. "You know I really don't like you."

"Dammit, now I'm gonna have to cry myself to sleep tonight."

"It's okay, I will hold you." Anthony added before everyone dissolved in a fit of giggles.

"You guys, leave Brandi alone." She admonished before turning to Brandi. "Don't let them bother you. Two out of the three of them are idiots."

"I would have to care what they think for them to bother me."

"Very true." Sookie agreed. "Come on, you get us in and shut them up for good."

"Yeah right." Jamal scoffed. "She couldn't get us into a free clinic."

"Unless you slept with her." Anthony added. Noah shook his head at them, carefully not to meet anyone's eye so that he could maintain his composure.

"Fuck off!" Brandi cursed them. She drew herself up to her fullest height because come hell or high water she was getting them into the club. She left the quartet trailing behind her in her wake.

As Sookie passed more and more whispers began pouring into the night. Some fangbangers bowed to her and she nodded her head in acknowledgement. She didn't worry about Brandi noticing because she was still on a mission forward.

It was Pam who was playing gate keeper tonight and Brandi strode directly up to her with her head high and her shoulders back. "I am Brandi, pet of King Armond Luciano of New York and I demand entrance in his name."

Pam looked at Brandi as if she were a pile of fecal matter. It didn't take a genius to know that she was working out a way to dispose of Brandi's body.

"Pam." Sookie said in little more than a whisper. When Pam looked at Sookie she continued. "This is my apology to you for being such a bitch. I hope you like it."

"You got me vermin for an apology?" Pam asked, speaking so low and fast that no human could understand. Hell, even the were's (except Noah) had trouble understanding her.

"Of course not." Sookie scoffed. "I got you a live show in your favorite genre, all you have to do is let her in."

"Hello?" Brandi said a bit louder as if Pam were deaf. "Are you going to let me in or are you going to insult my king?"

"Your king sent you into my territory without following proper procedure. Are you a spy? Are you here to gather information on my kingdom?"

"No I am on vacation and decided to come home. He doesn't know I'm here."

"So your king is so weak that he can't keep track of his own pet?" Pam asked shaking her head. "That is such a shame."

"My king is not weak." Brandi protested.

"Then he does not value your life because he has not taught you how to interact with vampires, especially vampires out of his territory. So either you are trying to get him killed or he is trying to kill you."

Sookie walked up behind Brandi. "Hey Brandi!" Sookie laughed. "Sorry we got caught up back there looking at the outrageous outfits. You are right I am going to stick out like a sore thumb, but I wouldn't be caught dead in some of these getups."

Pam's fangs ran out. "You should be careful what you say in a vampire bar." She leered.

"Whoa, cool." Sookie said as she looked at Pam's fangs with interest. "Did you get us in Brandi?"

"Oh yes she got you in alright." Pam leered again at Sookie. "Maybe I will see you later."

"Oh, uh yeah sure." Sookie said as she passed.

"Don't go anywhere near that vampire." Brandi ordered her once they walked in.

"Why?" Sookie asked absently, making a show of looking around and taking in the bar.

"She's got a bad attitude and could be real trouble." Brandi insisted.

"Oh, well if you say so then I won't."

"Good, let's get you a drink to loosen you up."

"Cool." They followed Brandi to the bar. The vampires all nodding their head at Sookie. She was thankful that Eric relented on that point this once. She made sure to stay a step behind Brandi so that she could acknowledge her vampires without catching Brandi's attention.

Felicia seemed to be waiting on them once they reached an open space around the bar. She nodded to Sookie before asking what she could get her tonight.

"Gin and Tonic please." Sookie ordered.

"I will take a cherry vodka sour." Brandi injected.

Felicia looked at Sookie's guards but they shook her head and she set about making the other two drinks.

"Thanks how much?" Sookie asked.

Felicia looked at Sookie as if she'd grown a second head before Sookie gave a tiny shake of the head. "They are on the house." Felicia informed her.

Sookie thought she should clue Felicia in before her game was ruined. "This is my first time to a vampire bar and my friend Brandi here is showing me the ropes."

The only surprise that Felicia showed was when she raised both her eyebrows. "Well we want everyone to feel welcome here so if you have any questions feel free to ask me."

"Thanks." Sookie beamed at Felicia before turning to Brandi. "Man everyone's so nice here. I wonder if I will get to talk to another vampire tonight since you said I had to stay away from the woman at the door."

"Uh Sookie, that was a vampire that made our drinks." Brandi said as she took a swig of her drink.

"What? No way!" Sookie exclaimed as she tried to turn to get a better look at Felicia-who was now serving others down the bar. "She looked so normal and she was so nice to us."

"I think she's right Sook." Jamal said as he pretended to study Felicia too.

"That's just too cool!" She looked over to Brandi. "Is it okay to dance?"

"Sure, come on and I will go with you."

"Great!" She turned to the guys. "Are y'all in?"

"Of course we are." Anthony said.

"We can't guard you from across the room." Jamal added.

They headed out to the dance floor and everyone cleared a path for them. Sookie and Brandi danced in the middle while the guys danced around them. Brandi kept trying to grind against Sookie but she kept moving out of the way. Finally Noah and Jamal came up in front and behind her while Anthony danced to the side of them.

"Sorry I don't swing that way." Sookie said when Brandi glared at them. They watched as she stormed off back over to the bar.

When she was gone Sookie and the guys put more space between them but they remained close enough for no one else to try to slip in between them...not that anyone did. They danced to the next three fast songs and when a slower song came on they retreated back to the bar where Brandi was sulking.

"Wow I am having a fabulous time!" Sookie yelled over the music.

"You think you are so hot Sookie Stackhouse but you're still that pathetic thing I befriended all those years ago." Brandi snapped.

"Who poured sand in your vagina?" Sookie asked. "I am strictly dickly, sorry to disappoint but you're missing a valuable piece of equipment."

"Whatever Stackhouse."

They watched the crowds when Sookie felt Eric getting closer to her. She looked over to where the throne was sitting empty.

"What's that throne for?" She asked no one in particular.

"That's where our King or Sheriff sits." Felicia answered as she sat another drink in front of Sookie. "If the King is in the building then out of respect the seat remains vacant. If he is not here then the Sheriff occupies the chair."

"Oh cool. So since it's empty that means that the king is here?" Sookie asked excitedly.

Felicia smirked. "Indeed he is."

"Can you tell me about him or is that a no,no?"

"I can tell you about him." Neither Sookie or her guards could miss the emphasis on the word _you._ Brandi didn't say anything, staying defiantly quiet, but even she turned her head to listen better. "His name is Eric Northman and he's a Viking and is over a thousand years old."

Sookie let her eyes get comically big as she listened to Felicia. "A thousand years old? I couldn't imagine that. Man the things he must have seen..."

"Indeed. He is very old, even for our kind, and very powerful. He was Sheriff of this area for decades before he became King, even though he was older than our two previous rulers."

"Wow, why did he wait so long to become King?"

"He never wanted to become King. He was contented taking care of his little slip of Louisiana. The previous king forced his hand so King Northman did what he had to do in order to survive."

"Wow." Sookie breathed. "What's he like?"

"He is a very fair Master. He gives much to his kingdom. He is loyal and commands respect. He does not ask outrageous things from those he governs. Everyone does their part happily because under him we have prosperity."

"He sounds like a great man." Sookie said.

"He is a great vampire."

"I wonder if I could meet him?" She asked out loud.

"Oh please Sookie. What would he want with a plain Jane like you?" Brandi sneered.

Felicia's fangs popped out and she growled harshly at Brandi. "I would watch out who I insulted in a vampire bar if I were you." Felicia all but growled at Brandi. "You will respect this kingdom or you will leave...or I will make sure that you never leave again."

Brandi gulped loudly and nodded her head.

Felicia glared at Brandi a moment longer before she turned back to Sookie. "Don't listen to her, stranger things have happened."

Sookie smiled genuinely at her. She knew that Felicia was afraid that she would one day kill her bit she never thought that she would be defended so fiercely by her either. "Thank you." She said with as much feeling as she dared. Felicia smiled slightly and bowed her head slightly. "Can you tell me how I go about meeting him...if I'm allowed?"

"Well, the fangbangers usually just go up and bow at the steps where the throne its. They tilt their heads and expose their necks, offering him their blood."

"Uh wow." Sookie blinked slightly dazed. "I don't think I want to offer him my blood. I don't think my husband would like that very much."

Felicia laughed abruptly at that statement. Sookie looked at her shocked because she'd never seen a vampire act so freely in public before. "No, I wouldn't recommend that approach for you. You are dressed very nicely and you are very beautiful, more importantly you are not dressed like a common whore or fangbanger. I think that you will catch his attention. If I'm right he will summon you to him."

"And I won't have to offer anything?"

"No, you don't have to offer anything that you aren't willing to share."

Just then the entire club grew quiet. Sookie looked away from Felicia to see what she already knew. Eric came from the back with an exotic shirtless man walking a step behind him. Sookie knew that this man was the supposed Sheriff. In actuality Pam was the Sheriff of Area 5 so that Eric would be freed up to attend to matters of the kingdom. Most kings are also Sheriffs of the area they live in but Pam and Eric worked as one unit. He trusted her truly and therefore trusted his home area to be ran by her. Because she was taking on extra duties for him, London was named her second. So that when Pam was away then London would be able to carry on with the area.

"The blond one is King Northman." Felicia said. She was having fun with this game...whatever the game was where Sookie was acting like a stranger. Both Sookie and Brandi tore their gaze away from the duo and looked at her before looking back. "The other vampire without his shirt on is the Sheriff."

"What's his name?" Brandi asked.

Felicia didn't answer.

"What's his name?" Sookie asked.

"London, he is a new addition to the kingdom but he too is a good boss. He is quite a hit with the fangbangers and thrill seekers."

"Wow, I've never seen anyone like him before." Sookie said honestly.

"Few have."

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Eric sat in the throne and London sat to his right. He waved his hand and the DJ restarted the music and gradually everyone went back to whatever they were doing. It was like the humans were on overload with both him and London here at the same time. On the outside he looked bored but on the inside his amusement was growing.

"Did you know of this?" Pam asked him as she took the chair to his left.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about." Eric replied trying-and failing-to look innocent.

"Bullshit." She called him out. "What's going on?"

"She knew she messed up and she thought that she would make it up to you like this. You have everything under the sun so she couldn't just buy you something. You wouldn't accept just a word of apology so she is subjecting herself to the fangbanger for your amusement."

Pam thought about that for a moment before her lips twitch in a small smile. "The fangbanger, Brandi, says that she is the pet of King Armond Luciano of New York. She says that she is on vacation and that he doesn't know she is here."

"Armond's tastes does not often turn towards the fairer sex." London said. "And when his tastes do change she is _definitely_ not his type. He has tastes that leans towards the exotic. He likes rare and un-convoluted blood types. He has very discriminating tastes."

"That he does." Eric agreed. "All the same I should call him just to double check. No matter what he says she does not leave here tonight. When this charade is over, she is to be taken to the basement and chained there until I can question her."

"Is there something more going on?" London asked.

"Yes, but I will have to tell you about it when we have more privacy."

"Felicia has been giving Sookie a lesson in Vampires 101." Pam reported.

"She shall have my thanks in helping." Eric said. At that second Felicia's head snapped towards Eric. They locked eyes for a moment and then she bowed her head respectfully to him. He returned it with a nod of his own.

The fangbangers began pooling at the steps of his throne. Every so often someone would get brave and approach Eric or London or Pam and would get kicked back down the stairs. Other's tried to gain attention by dancing provocatively on the dance floor, all but stripping.

"To think I used to touch these foul things." Eric said in disgust.

"Hey we can't all have a super being for our Queen." London said. "If I ever found one who's blood sang to me the way hers sings for you I would never let her go."

"Agreed." Pam said.

"Pam this show is all for you." Eric said with a twinkle of delight in his eyes. "Go sit in my booth and you should have a great view of this show."

"The Queen is like no other I have ever encountered."

"You cannot avoid her forever." Eric told him. "You were not the only one that felt the call."

"I am the oldest being in your kingdom and the fact that I too succumbed to the call is terrifying."

"You are doing great with her being in the same room."

"With a hundred others diffusing her scent." London pointed out. "This is why I wanted you here for our reintroduction." Sookie turned her head and looked directly in London's eyes and gave a sad smile. She nodded her head to him before turning back to her guards. "She is very special. She doesn't even blame me does she?"

"No she blames none but herself." Eric replied. He knew that London's reaction to the call of her blood had shaken him like nothing has in a long while. London wasn't as confident in his ability to be near Sookie without trying to hurt her but Eric had more faith that the elder vampire would be okay. He was here more as London's peace of mind then Eric's. "It wouldn't have happened if she would have been guarding herself against Bill. It's a mistake she won't make again. She guards herself against both friends as well as foes."

"Where did you find her?"

"She was Heaven sent." Eric replied and then looked into London's eyes. "She found me. Your bonded may still be out there. If I can wait a thousand years then so can you."

"Indeed."

They lapsed into quiet and focused on the conversation Sookie and Brandi were having. It seemed as if the show was about to start.

Brandi was still fuming. She couldn't figure out what the issue was. They had been in the club for almost an hour and she had been insulted by Sookie's idiot friends, Sookie insulted her on the dance floor all but calling her a lesbian in front of everyone...while it seemed everyone's eyes was on them, and now this stupid vamp bartender was all up Sookie's ass trying to pump her up to meeting a King. We will see who gets the last laugh. If Sookie wanted to play with the big girls then she would show her how the game is supposed to be played.

"Don't listen to that bartender Sookie." She said after she made sure that the meddler was gone. "King's don't come to humans. Humans have to go to kings."

"She said that if I waited he would come to me though." Sookie protested.

"Ah I see; you're scared." Brandi laughed. "Well you stay over here and wait for the king. I will offer myself to him and have fun while you have fun with your little buddies."

"I'm not scared." Sookie claimed.

"Yeah right."

"I'm not." Sookie said. "If you're brave enough to offer yourself then so am I.

"Oh what about your supposed husband?" Brandi sneered. "How would you explain your bite marks to him...if he exists that is."

"He does exist and you will meet him tonight." Sookie said as she was trying to keep her cool. "He called when we were driving her and he's on his way to meet us here."

"Hmmm, how interesting." Brandi said snarkily. "This should be good."

"If you're so sure of yourself, why don't you show us novices how it's done." Sookie challenged.

"Gladly little girl." Brandi sneered. She downed the rest of her drink and dropped the glass back on the bar. She got up and strutted herself over to the dance floor. On the other side the fangbangers were still grouped at the base of the stairs. Brandi pushed them aside as she strolled up to the first step.

"Pam this is all for you so you better forgive me." Sookie murmured as they locked eyes for a moment. Pam smiled at her with all her teeth on display and nodded her head enthusiastically before looking back at the show.

Eric was on the phone but hung up once the woman he saw in Sookie's mind stand on the bottom step. She was very bold as she locked eyes with him and pushed her breasts far out on display. She was absolutely repulsive as the distinct smell of overuse permeated the air around her. She stroked her neck and slowly dropped her hand between her breasts.

When she didn't get a word of rejection Brandi strutted up the stairs, making sure to swing her hips with every step. She knelt at Eric's feet and pushed her breasts together so that they were on full display. She tilted her head to the side.

"I am yours." Brandi purred.

"I will pass." Eric said in a bored voice. "London?"

"Pass."

"He passes too. Be gone vermin." Eric told her.

Brandi looked shocked and stared at Eric wide eyed for a moment. She had to try again. If she went back to the bar now Sookie and her friends would laugh her out of the state. She was not one to give up so easily. She always knew how to get what she wanted and this would be no different. So she stood and stepped towards Eric and bowed so that her breasts were in his face and her mouth was by his ear. She ran her hand slowly from his knee up towards his crotch.

"Are you sure I can't offer you a little taste of _Brandi_?" She purred.

Anger shot through Eric and he looked over Brandi's shoulder to see Sookie being restrained by her entire guard. Noah and Anthony were on either side of her holding her arms and Jamal was all but sitting on her, keeping her on the bar stool. He sent love and comfort into their bond before he closed his hand around Brandi's throat. In the next moment he was standing and Brandi was dangling in his hand-completely off the ground.

"Who do you think you are that you could touch me?" He asked. Everyone in the club stopped to watch what was going on. Brandi gagged and gasped in his hand unable to form words. "Who do you think you are that you could approach me at all?"

"Oh there you are." Pam said as she came to stand next to Eric. "Master I think you should put her down. She's the pet of King Armond Luciano of New York."

Eric dropped Brandi in a heap on the floor. She gagged and gulped air. "Indeed?" Eric asked as he glanced at Pam.

"That's what she told me when she demanded that I let her into the club."

"Stand up vermin." Eric commanded and Brandi got to her feet shakily. "Are you the human pet of King Armond in New York?"

"Ye-Yes, I am." She said a bit hoarsely. She really didn't want to answer that question but she was afraid of what would happen to her if she didn't.

"She says that he doesn't know that she's here." Pam added helpfully.

"That's so very interesting." Eric said. "Especially since I just hung up with the King and he has never even heard of you."

"What?" Pam gasped dramatically. "You mean she _lied_ to me?"

"What is the world coming to?" London asked as he shook his head.

"I-I uh, I was told to say that when I came." Brandi said.

"You don't have to explain it to me, but you will have to explain it to the king when you get home."

"Can't we work something out?" Brandi asked as she tried to keep her cool. "You can drink from me."

"And be the first vampire in history to contract an STD?" Eric pretended to think. "I think I will pass on that. Now do I really need to tell you to leave again?"

"But-?" Brandi began before something hard connected with her chest and she was flying through the air. Before she could hit the ground a pair of steel arms wrapped around her.

"Hey there bloodbag." A creepy male vampire said as she turned in his arms to find herself in his lap. "Care for a drink?"

Pain in her chest made her eyes water as she looked down to see a red outline of a boot on her chest. He kicked her? She looked around until she found the stage again. There sat the King, the Sheriff, and the female vampire from the door sitting on the stage seemingly bored out of her mind.r

The feeling of fangs scraping across her neck brought her back to the fact that she was sitting in some unknown vampires lap. She hastily got to her feet and stepped away from the creep to see him pout...as much as a guy can with fangs sticking out.

"Spoil sport." He muttered before disappearing into the crowd.

Brandi just wanted to crawl in a hole and die. She looked over to the bar to see those idiots with Sookie laughing their asses off. Sookie was clearly trying to hold in her laughter, but was losing the battle quickly.

Sookie was the first to jump up when Brandi came back to the bar. "Oh my goodness, are you okay? I can't believe my eyes. At first I thought that I had already lost and that you were going to get him and then he had you by the neck. I thought y'all were working it out because it looked like y'all were talking and that girl vampire from the door came up but then you were just flying through the air. I didn't even see what happened. Oh my gosh is that a boot print? He kicked you?"

"Oh shut up already Stackhouse I'm fine. He's delusional. You saw how I was treated. You better not go up there or you will get it too."

"Oh no, you are not talking me out of our bet. You went up there and so am I." Sookie stated stubbornly.

"Yeah and now that Brandi has shown you what not to do, you will be a shoe in." Jamal said as he tried to get his laughter under control. He whipped out his cell phone with lightning speed and in the next moment a flash was going off. "This is sooooo going on my _MySpace_ page!"

"You fucking asshole give me that!" Brandi raged at him trying to grab his phone.

Another flash went off and Jamal laughed even harder as he turned around to show everyone else. She looked like a fish on a stick. Brandi's eyes were comically big and her mouth was gaped open in a perfect 'O'. You could still make out the boot print on her chest as her breasts looked as if they sprang from a wall.

"Ugh! You're such an ass!" Brandi huffed completely exasperated.

"Why thank you for noticing." Jamal said turning around and shaking his behind at them. "I've been working awfully hard on it and no one has said a thing."

"It really is a very nice ass." Felicia said from behind the bar.

Jamal smiled at her. "Duly noted." He replied with a wink.

"Okay enough stalling, it's my turn." Sookie said before hopping off her stool.

"Trying to get it done before your husband shows?"

"You know it." She laughed as she walked off.

Her strut was slow and deliberate. The DJ interrupted the current rock song to put on _Naughty Girl_ by Beyonce. When she hit the dance floor people gave her a wide birth and she began to twirl her hips around to the beat, giving a little pop on the drop beat just like she saw in the video. She didn't try to approach the stairs, she just danced like she was alone in her living room back in Bon Temps. She twisted and popped and twirled to the music as she incorporated some of the dance moves that she remember from the video.

Sookie looked up to see that both the three vampires on the stage were watching her intently, all with their fangs out. She beckoned Pam forward and didn't have to wait a whole second before she had company on the dance floor...which was now empty. Together Pam and Sookie twirled and moved together until the song transformed into something slower. Sookie recognized it as _Cater 2 U_ by Destiny's Child.

Pam had always kept an inch of space between her body and Sookie's out of respect for her Master. "I forgive you Sookie. Thanks for doing this." She whispered in her ear but before Sookie could respond Pam twirled her across the dance floor towards the stairs of the stage.

Sookie kept moving to the beat as she ascended the stairs to where Eric and London still sat with rapt attention. She nodded her head to London and he dipped his head further down out of respect. She offered her hand to Eric and he took it without comment. He led her back to the dance floor and pulled her close. Everyone stopped to watch the show. The vampires who hadn't already popped their fangs from Sookie's solo dance did so at the pure sex that radiated from the King and Queen.

Brandi watched the whole thing in complete disbelief. It was there and then that she became set on ruining Sookie's marriage. She said that her husband was on his way and she prayed that he would arrive to see his wife grinding all over the vampire. That stupid retarded bitch! She cannot have the last laugh. Brandi refused to be assed out when Sookie gets that sex on a stick. If she couldn't have him then no one else could either.

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_**FELLOWSHIP OF THE SUN CHURCH IN SHREVEPORT**_

_We are soldiers_

_In the army_

_We have to fight_

_Although we have to cry_

_We have to hold up the bloodstained banner_

_We've got to hold it up until we die_

_We are soldiers_

_In the army_

_We have to fight_

_Although we have to cry_

_We have to hold up the bloodstained banner_

_We've got to hold it up until we die_

_We are soldiers_

_In the army_

_We have to fight_

_Although we have to cry_

_We have to hold up the bloodstained banner_

_We've got to hold it up until we die_

They continued to sing out loud as the choir filled into the stands from the duel doors on either side. The congregation stood too and belted out the song along with their musical messengers. They all knew that tonight was a mighty strike to be had. A lot didn't know or didn't understand exactly what was happening but that didn't stop them from lifting their voice, hoping that the Lord would be listening and that maybe, just maybe, He would bless them and the work they will carry out tonight.

Steve Newlin stood on the pulpit and raised his voice joyously to his flock. He rejoiced in the energy his lambs were feeding into himself and his soldiers. He raised his hands and the choir director signaled the end of the song. When the last note was sung, the entire building nearly exploded in applause and shouts of praise. Everyone was rejoicing in the Lord and Steve was rejoicing in his people.

"Children! Children!" He called out to get the attention of his flock and everyone began to settle. "Tonight is a joyous night for all of God's people." He smiled as everyone exploded into roars of applause again. "Tonight is the night that a mighty blow will be dealt to our evil dead! We have got to fight with all we have in order to see our mission completed as it has already been called to be!" Everyone cheered some more and he let it go until they quieted on their own. When he spoke again his voice started eerily calm and everyone leaned forward and hung on his every word.

"We are soldiers and you are the army. We each have to fight...with all we have and with all that we are. There are going to be setbacks and we will be knocked down a few times. But we have to fight! Even if we cry; WE HAVE TO FIGHT! Through the tears and the pain and the death of our fellow soldiers. WE! HAVE! TO! FIGHT! W have to hold onto our bloodstained banner." He pointed to the effigy of a bloody Jesus Christ that hung behind the choir. It was beautiful. It was gruesome. It was a life size depiction complete with blood that was painted on all of his wounds. "We have to hold _Him_ up...even if we die.

"This place, Earth, is not our home. It's our test. Just like the hymn tells us; _there is victory in Jesus. I know he will please us. We should be willing to throw up our hands, obey His commands. And do your best in trials, that you shall surely stand. There _is_ victory in Jesus._" The congregation exploded again. The passion that poured from Rev. Newlin actually felt tangible to them. No one had doubts that he was speaking truth. They had faith in their leader, and oh what a leader he was! "Tonight will be momentous to us all. We will snuff out those who mock our Lord and Savior; those who go against the very word of God by their unnatural existence. Anchor yourself and we shall be victorious tonight.

I know a lot of you may not know what I'm talking about but that's okay. All you have to do is ask yourself if you have faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ?" He held his mic out and the church answered a resounding _YES_. "Do you believe that we are soldiers in His blessed army?" _YES!_ "Do you trust in me as your Shepherd to steer you always towards our God?"_YES!_ "Then I as you now for your trust because we..." He held his mic out to the congregation and they finished the words that had been taught to them since the moment they began church. _We follow in faith, not by sight._

"Amen my brothers and sisters." He signaled the choir director again and the choir stood in practiced precision. "Have faith that His plan will be revealed to all in His time. We should rejoice, for we are anchored in his love and mercy." He took his seat in the front row with his wife just in time to hear the choir.

_In the Lord_

_In the Lord_

_My soul's been anchored_

_In tha Lord..._

This was so much more than Steve Newlin could have ever hope to have had. He was truly blessed. He rejoiced in the Spirit that was among his congregation on this night. It was like a sign of success and he felt lightened in his certainty. God was with them tonight. Tonight they would be validated in their fight with the unholy undead.

Off to the side he saw someone waving at him and he turned to see one of his generals. When he saw Steve looking at him they locked eyes and he gave the Rev a deliberate nod of his head. Everything was right on schedule tonight.

As _My Soul's Been Anchored in the Lord_ Rev. Newlin climbed back onto the pulpit and once again took the mic. "As we close tonight I want us to have a symbolic gesture to our Heavenly Father. We are all soldiers in His army, and I want to bring our symbolic soldiers forward to pledge themselves as we each should pledge ourselves to His glory."

This was nothing new to see with the congregation. Every so often symbolic soldiers had communion and pledged themselves to God's army. It was never the same soldiers but everyone always found it to be a treat.

Steve smiled as the main doors opened up at the main entrance and ten men and women dressed in camo fatigues and black boots walked in. The congregation thought that this was a symbolic gesture but in truth it was the last step in the induction to his holy army. These men and women had completed training at one of his camps and also proved themselves serious (read: killing a vampire) in their service of obligation.

The men and women filed in and knelt at the altar where Steve stood before them. He grabbed the "symbolic" sword (silver plated) from its special holding place under his podium and he stepped forward. Two helpers, two of his army generals, grabbed the symbolic blood and body of Christ and stood a step behind their leader.

Steve stepped before each new recruit and asked them the same question. "Do you pledge yourself and all that you are to the service of Jesus Christ no matter where that path may lead you or what you may have to sacrifice in doing so?"

Each new recruit took the sword by the hilt and answered him in the same way. "By my arm or my life I will serve Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, with all I have and all I am." They then kissed the base of the blade before handing it back to Rev. Newlin.

As he stepped from one to the next his helpers trailed behind him offering each new recruit a small cracker and a sip from a silver, jewel encrusted goblet filled with red wine. When all had made their pledge each general repeated the pledge and ate a cracker and drank from the goblet. Lastly, Steve repeated the pledge and ate a cracker before draining the rest of the wine from the goblet. When he was done he called everyone into prayer.

As soon as the prayer was done the choir director stood and the choir began to sing about the battle of Jericho. Steve placed a hand on each new recruit and motioned for them to stand and then turned them to face what each will now see as the flock they've pledged to protect at all costs. At the dramatic end of the song everyone erupted again. People surged forward to embrace their new soldiers. Many had begun seeing the position of being a symbolic soldier as a great honor, even if most would never know what it took to get the position.

The alarm on his watch and once again Rev. Steve Newlin prayed over his flock and the soldiers all backed out of the hall, quickly followed by the Rev himself. His associate pastor stepped forward and continued the fellowship with the congregation. They were out at night as an act of defiance and now that the evening service was done they would all head into the cafeteria and eat, drink, and continue to fellowship with one another.

Steve joined his soldiers in the back. He did a quick change out of his dress clothes and into some camo fatigues to match the rest. He wouldn't be directly on site because he was too important to risk but he would be a part of the getaway caravan at one of the check points that they had set up all around their target. He wanted it this way so that everyone wouldn't be running off in the same direction and cause even more confusion to any potential witness. Of course the plan was to leave no one around that will be able to witness against them; but it was always better to be safe rather than sorry.

So from the confines of his getaway check point he would oversee the operation. Several of the soldiers were armed with cameras and everyone had on a mic/headset. He would be able to give commands as if he were standing right there with them and he would be able to see everything that happens. Most everyone was already in place and in a holding position. His was the last group that would arrive and get in place.

When he was done getting dressed their group left the church and got into their SUV's and made their way to what would now be the final destination for many people; but God willing none of those people would be his. The rumor that a vampire and human had actually gotten married in Louisiana was starting to gain momentum. He had a man in the city hall of records that alerted him. A vampire that they had already identified as Sheriff Eric Northman had married that freak fangbanger Sookie Stackhouse that was such a thorn in his side. He couldn't believe that his informant had reported that the fangbanger had even filed a change of name. She was now Sookie _Northman_. The stupid bitch was too dumb to realize that with the supposed age they had for her husband _Northman_ most likely wasn't even close to his real name.

No humans have gotten wind of the news yet but he knew that it was just because the vampire wanted it kept quiet. From their intel a vampire Sheriff was the second highest ranking vampire in their structure. There were multiple Sheriffs but still, a Sheriff was just a step down from a king or queen. Who would have ever thought that vampires would have royalty? _Idiots._ No matter. Steve had already made it his personal mission to identify and get rid of as many vampire kings and queens as he could. It had proven almost impossible to identify them but that hadn't deterred him from trying. Tonight he would have to just settle for a Sheriff.

Tonight is the night that Reverend Steven Newlin, leader of the Fellowship of the Sun, rid the world of Eric Northman and his fangbanging wife Sookie Northman.

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He stumbled because it was never really a good idea to POP as you're running but he couldn't help it. He'd found it! He found what he was looking for. There was another POP next to him but he wasn't worried. He already knew who it was. Sure enough it was his twin that stumbled next to him before she found her stride.

"Did they detect you?" Claudine asked as she checked his body, as well as she could, as they continued to run at break neck speeds towards the palace.

"No." Claude said. "We have to get to Grandfather so he can alert everyone."

"We are ready now." She assured him as they came upon the palace. "I was with the soldiers when I felt your panic and surprise. I was about to come to you but then you were here before I could make the decision to go."

"It's a good thing too." He said emphatically. "I would be pissed if we finally found what we've been looking for only to have it disappear right in front of us to who the hell knows where."

"I will be glad when the ban on POPing into the palace is lifted." Claudine said as they jumped the stairs.

Niall had banned everyone from POPing in or out of the palace. It was the refuge for the weak and also the most prized source of power among their kind. It was the most protected and prized place the Sky Fae had. Their Grandfather had confided in the twins that the enemy that they were up against could follow them if they had a hold of them when they POPed and if someone POPed into the palace it would put their enemy in the center of their stronghold.

They didn't have far to go as Niall was coming out of the palace with their father, Dillon, just as they were about to enter it. Claude managed to turn at the last moment but Claudine skidded right into her father who wrapped his arms around her and laughed.

"Is your balance off so soon child?" He asked.

"At least I'm not showing yet." Claudine laughed with him. "I just realized this morning how much I like seeing my feet."

"Indeed."

"What has you two in such a rush?" Niall asked as he saw the impatient look on Claude's face.

"We were looking for you sir." Claude said urgently. "I've had _success_."

It took Niall a fraction of a second to connect what his grandchild was telling him and his eyes grew a just a bit wider. "Indeed?"

"Yes and they are unaware of my discovery." He reported.

"Where?"

"In the south quadrant of the Illyos Delta 14590.773992 marked by 33282.670193."

"Come!" Niall demanded and didn't wait to check if his family was following him. He led them to the throne room and dismissed everyone who was in there. "Dillon, sound the alarm. Twins dress for battle."

Niall took a coin from his robes and threw it towards the center of the room. "Michael." Niall commanded. A bolt of lightning hit the coin and everyone was blinded. When their sight cleared the Archangel was standing in front of them. They all dropped to their knee immediately.

"Stand, stand." He said as he walked over to Niall. "I assume you have something of importance to tell me since you have summoned me here?"

"Yes." Niall agreed before turning to Claude. "Tell him absolutely everything that you saw."

Michael turned to the younger Fae who took a deep breath before looking Michael in the eye. He told Michael everything that he had witnessed and when he was done Michael touched his head so that he could see the memories for himself. By the time he was done. Michael's eyes were blazing.

"Well done Claude. You have done beautiful work." Michael praised and it took Claude everything he had not to preen. Michael turned back to where he first appeared. "Gabriel, Odin, Freyja, Zeus, Hera." He spoke their names calmly and a mist appeared. In the next moment the mist was replaced with five more Archangels. Michael threw Claude's memories onto an invisible screen and the others watched it intently. "We must go immediately."

"We are coming too." Niall said firmly.

Michael regarded him for a moment but it was Gabriel who spoke. "They are the ones that found them. It's only right."

"Fine." Michael agreed. "Odin, Zeus, and Freyja will fight with you and your people." He turned to the others. "Gather our forces we leave immediately."

"Yes Commander." Hera and Gabriel said simultaneously before disappearing.

Michael turned back to Niall. "There are two witches that are important. Amelia and Octavia. They mean a lot to Sookie. You need to recover them both and get them out. We don't know what kind of condition they are in."

"Understood." Niall agreed. He then shimmered into his battle clothes.

"Organize quickly and wait for my call. You need to split in half because we will take them from all sides." Michael told the other Angels. "I will send more info as needed." With another bolt of lightning Michael disappeared just as Dillon came back into the room.

"We are ready to go." He reported to Niall before looking at the newcomers he didn't recognize. He tried to inhale deeply but there was no scent to catch, therefore he could not place what house they came from.

"These are the Achangels Frejya, Zeus, and Odin." Niall told his second in command. "They are going to fight with us as the rest of the Angels organize."

Dillon nodded to each of the beings before looking back at Niall. "What's the plan?"

"We split our forces in half. You command one as I will the other. We take out as many as possible. We are also tasked to save the witches Amelia and Octavia. If you come across them they are to get out no matter what...at all costs. They are important to my great granddaughter."

"Yes Prince."

"Let's go, we will be called into action at any moment."

Without another word they left the palace. Odin and Zeus went with Dillan while Freyja stayed with Niall. As reported the Fae army was prepared for battle. They were already separated into two forces and Niall stood back while Freyja took in their forces.

"Impressive." She commented as she turned back towards him.

"Thank you." Niall said with a slight bow of his head. "That means much coming from you."

"I only speak truth." Freyja said. Niall came to stand next to each other as they overlooked the multitude of fighters.

"Hopefully we can end this tonight." He said.

"I share that hope but I don't think it will be that easy for us."

"That's true." He agreed. "It seems as if nothing is so simple when it comes to my Granddaughter."

"I too wish that we could end this without encroaching on her life further. No one should have to endure such heartache but she's stronger than she gives herself credit for. She thinks that she borrows strength from her bonded but that is simply not true. She has a strength all her own."

"She truly is magnificent."

"Yes." She agreed. "I am proud to call her sister."

"I think everyone who knows her is proud to call her something." He said with a wry smile. "I have wronged her and I intend to right it immediately."

"That is noble Niall." Freyja told him. She placed a hand on his forearm suddenly and he turned to look her in the eye. "Just don't be so intent on making amends that you rob her of your very presence. She would rather have you then your amends."

They looked at each for a moment. Niall opened his mouth to respond when Freyja turned her head back towards the army as if someone had called her name. He followed her gaze even though he hadn't heard anything. A sword appeared in her hands from nowhere and she turned back to him.

"It's time."

Niall pulled his own sword, one that has served his family from their inception. "I am ready." He signaled the troops and someone blew the battle horn.

Freyja grabbed Niall's free wrist and he raised his sword to the troops. They returned his gesture and when he let his blade drop the signal was taken and they all disappeared through time and space only to arrive on the front lines of a surprise attack.

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Dragxin didn't have any time to spend on the implications of what just happened. He had already received Brandi's call and he knew he needed to get going. If he could just get his hands on the girl then he could transport her into their stronghold. She would be separated from her bonded and therefore left vulnerable. His only goal would be to snatch and transport, everything else could wait.

He disappeared to the place Brandi was when she left the message and found himself at the turn onto hummingbird lane. The moment he arrived he knew that she wasn't there so with a flick of his fingers he summoned a sleek black motorcycle. He threw his leg over it and it roared to life. He loved the way it roared for him; such a complete beast. He took off like lightning in the direction he felt Brandi's pull.

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When the dance was over Sookie looked around and saw all the heated stares and hooded eyes. She couldn't help the blush burned her cheeks. The scraping of fangs on her neck cause a shiver to rip through her body as Eric held her even closer. It was time to end this...if for no other reason than dragging Eric to the back to his office and testing the strength of his desk...and couch...and wall.

She jerked herself away from Eric with the last bit of strength that she possessed. She was breathing raggedly as she thanked him for the dance and slowly backed away towards the bar. Eric took a step towards her but regained his senses and stopped himself. He smirked at her and Sookie could swear that she heard panties all over the club dropping.

The veteran fangbangers all loved London but even he couldn't replace the Viking in their hearts. The neophytes didn't think it could get better than London. Of course they had been told of London's predecessor but how could they picture it? They were woefully unprepared for the Viking's visit tonight. Those that didn't short circuit when he walked through the door followed their panties to the ground in a stick puddle of goo after that hot as hell dance and pure sex smirk.

Sookie stumbled her way back to the bar where Jamal had to help her onto her stool. A drink was already waiting on her when she finally got situated.

"Well that-" Brandi began before getting cut off by Jamal.

"Wait, don't speak." He said seriously. "I'm still trying to commit that to memory for one of those long lonely nights."

Sookie laughed. "You keep me out of your spank bank Jamal."

"You should have said that before that dance." He replied regretfully. "There's no way that memory can stay out."

They all laughed some more and Sookie turned around on her stool, studiously avoiding Eric penetrating gaze. She pretended to see something and jump.

"My husband is here!" She exclaimed.

"I wonder if he missed the show?" Brandi wondered nastily out loud.

"Do you or don't you want to meet him?" Sookie asked. "He's over on the far side of the dance floor."

Brandi scanned the crowd on the dance floor but the crowd was so dense that she could hardly tell anyone apart. "Sure let's get this show on the road." Brandi said, hoping that she was suppressing her excitement. This was going to be so good.

The guys trailed after the girls as the crowd parted for them. Sookie made it to the third step up the platform before she felt resistance from Brandi. Sookie turned to see that Brandi had frozen in complete fear when she realized where Sookie was pulling her. The last thing she ever wanted was to get close to the vampire who had so forcefully rejected her so publically.

Jamal, Anthony, and Noah silently walked around the frozen Brandi to stand behind their King. Sookie looked at Brandi a moment longer. As soon as she reached the platform her hand reached out to Eric and he happily took it. Brandi zoomed in on their entwined hands but still didn't move. Her body was completely frozen in place.

"Brandi, I would like you to meet my husband Eric Northman, King of Nevada, Louisiana and Arkansas. I guess I should have used my full name and title earlier. I am no longer Sookie Stackhouse. I am Sookie Northman, Queen of Nevada, Louisiana, and Arkansas."

Brandi's mouth would have hit the floor if it were physically possible, though it was giving a good try at the moment.

Sookie had spoken only loud enough for Brandi to hear. She knew that no one on the packed dance floor, let alone the rest of the club, could hear her; except for the supes and this was something that they hadn't known already.

"My Queen tells me that you gave her instruction on how to act in the presence of vampires based on your experience in the court of a vampire King." Eric said in a silky voice. "So tell me how do you greet a vampire King and his Queen?"

He stood to his full magnificent height and as if on cue every vampire bowed deeply at the waist. Even though they were behind Eric and Sookie, her guard too bowed at the waist. London stood next to them and he too bowed. The veteran fangbangers took a second longer to fall to one knee facing Eric and Sookie. The neophyte fangbangers took another second to follow their comrades position on the floor. Most of the fangbangers only knew that Eric and Sookie were at the tip top of the food chain with vampires but a few of the veterans knew that he was an actual King. The humans that were in attendance just for the novelty of seeing a vampire up close either headed for the door or followed suit of the other humans in the club.

Brandi looked around at everyone with big eyes. The music had stopped once again and she saw that the DJ was also on bended knee. Sookie thought that Brandi looked like a bobble head. Her head was swaying from side to side like it was in danger of flying off her neck.

"Am I to assume that you think yourself our equal and that's why you don't have to bow?" Eric asked. His voice was just as calm but had lost all its silkiness.

Finally Brandi's brain seemed to reconnect with her consciousness and the both screamed DANGER! DANGER! She fell to her knees before them. She couldn't believe that Sookie was married to the blond bombshell and all her plans at ruining Sookie's marriage had fallen by the wayside. They had gone up in smoke along with everything. How could Sookie have landed not just a vampire but a vampire king?

_We are soldiers_

_In the army_

"Someone as smart and with as much self respect as you Brandi should have no problems in landing a vampire money bags." Sookie said. "Care to offer my husband another taste of _Brandi?_"

Brandi opened her mouth to reply scathingly when her brain bitch-slapped her and told her to shut the hell up. Wisely Brandi listened.

_We have to fight_

_Although we have to cry_

"Answer me." Sookie demanded.

"No Sookie." Brandi said through gritted teeth.

"I would watch my tone if I were you." Eric growled. "Your life is in the hands of the one you mock so you should take great care not to piss my wife off."

"Yes sir."

"You are a pathetic piece of trash." Eric said as he walked down the stairs. Brandi backed away with every step forward that Eric took. "You ridicule what you admire. You tear down what is different and you are so intent on grabbing and getting that you don't even realize that you destroy everything you touch."

_We have to hold up the bloodstained banner_

Tears sprang to Brandi's eyes though she stubbornly tried to push them away. A hole appeared on the dance floor. No one wanted to be the closest one to Eric...or his prey.

"You aren't fit to lick the sole of my wife's shoe or the ground that she walks on." He saw an irrationally stubborn set to Brandi's jaw as she dared look him in the eye. She only had the chance to open her mouth before Eric's hand closed around her throat. "You were about to say?" He asked.

"It was just a misunderstanding." She managed. He was squeezing a bit but not completely cutting off her air, part of her was just glad that her feet were still on the ground this time.

_We've got to hold it up until we die_

"Stand." Eric commanded and everyone stood up, some slower than others. When everyone was standing again he tossed Brandi's pathetic body to the far side of the dance floor where she slid off with a grunt. His hands felt dirty now that he had to touch her twice. He wondered idly if anyone had some of that hand sanitizer that humans have begun carrying everywhere.

Eric retook his place next to Sookie before he spoke again. "Let it be known that anyone, human or otherwise, who disrespects me or my wife will have a..._misunderstanding _on their hands, and it won't be pleasant." He turned his intimidating stare to Brandi where she still lay on the floor. Her left knee was really throbbing because it had hit the floor the hardest when he tossed her aside. "Leave my establishment. The next time you see me will not be so pleasant."

Brandi pulled herself up on her good leg and staggered towards the door. Eric motioned to the DJ and he started the music. He retook his seat and Sookie sat on the arm of his throne. London too sat back down. Pam and Eric's eyes met and he nodded to the hobbling Brandi. She knew what he wanted and motioned to two vampires to capture her discreetly.

Sookie opened her mouth to comment on what happened when something caught her attention. She turned her head this way and that trying to figure out what it was.

_We are soldiers_

_In the army_

_We have to fight_

_Although we have to cry_

She opened her shields a bit more to hear several minds singing. It was the same song but multiple minds were on different parts.

_We have to hold up the bloodstained banner_

_We've got to hold it up until we die_

_We are soldiers_

_In the army_

_We have to fight_

_Although we have to cry_

_We have to hold up the bloodstained banner_

_We've got to hold it up until we die_

Eric could see the focused look on Sookie's face and he held her hand. She let her shields fall completely and all the thoughts crashed over her. She used the same blocks she used to keep from drowning in Eric's thoughts and emotions to do the same for everyone else's thoughts. She heard the song again.

_We are soldiers_

_In the army_

_We have to fight_

_Although we have to cry_

_We have to hold up the bloodstained banner_

_We've got to hold it up until we die_

For once she didn't feel the peace she had when she heard the song in church. The spiritual piece was not a hymn of praise but a cover for darker thoughts. She gasped at what she saw in the dark minds of those who weren't even in the building.

"We're surrounded." She breathed just before explosions rocked the building.

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Lilith was beautiful. Lilith was horrible. Lilith was a master of destruction and though she'd been caught unaware, she still fought with all she had. She didn't give. She didn't run. She led her forces, as scattered as they were, to defend themselves. She was holding her own against three Fae warriors when she took an opening and knocked them back. Her triumph was short lived when Hera appeared out of nowhere to challenge her.

Where was Dragxin? He should be by her side pushing the invading bastards back. She couldn't think on that though. She had to commit her whole self to her fight with Hera if she was to survive. Survive today. Kill Dragxin tomorrow.

Niall searched through the bloodshed of battle to find the missing witches. A demon came out of nowhere but Niall just POPed away to another part of the battle. He couldn't be slowed by fighting unless he had to be. He knew how much the witches meant to his Granddaughter and he would bring them back.

The battle had penetrated the deepest part of the demon's hide out. Below ground was a labyrinth filled with fighters. Another demon appeared in his path and with a flick of his free hand he froze the demon before using his familial sword to take his head. This is how he continued his frantic search, freezing demons in his path and taking their heads. He even froze a few that he wasn't fighting to give his people a hand up.

Niall went turn after confusing turn when he felt a surge of power unlike all the others. It had a signature that was distinctly human and he ran for it. Hastily dispatching three demons in his path, he arrived at a cave.

"Amelia? Octavia?" He called as he moved carefully forward. Even though he thought this power to be the witches didn't mean he wasn't careful on his approach.

He heard a weak moan and it drove him forward. "Amelia? Octavia?" Another groan led him further into the underground cavern where he saw the outline of a limp body. He looked around but didn't see anything as he moved forward. He instantly knew that this was the source of the sounds and he flitted to her side. He knelt by the limp body to find that it was a woman face down. He gently turned her over to find Amelia in woeful circumstance. She smelled of death and he knew that he had to get her out of here to get her help.

"Amelia, I am going to get you out of here." He told her.

Amelia's eyes fluttered and she opened them up to see an angelic face that seemed to glow. She couldn't keep her eyes open any longer, not even so that she could gaze upon who she hoped would be her savior. Her body was too weak but her mind was ablaze. She knew that Octavia was here with them and was just in disguise. _RUN! RUN! RUN!_ Her mind tried to scream at her savior but in actuality all she managed was a small "un" out loud.

Niall put his sword back in its sheath before he broke her metal bindings and gathered Amelia in his arms when a swell of the power that had led him here. Now that he had Amelia in his arms he knew that it wasn't coming from her.

A ball of fire flew out of nowhere at him. He nearly dropped Amelia when he blocked it. "Show yourself!" It wasn't just a command but a spell that only the most powerful could manage without chanting or weaving their hands intricately. It was a true testament to his power when Octavia's shield dissipated.

"Leave my charge here Fairy and I will let you live." Octavia warned.

"What is this betrayal old woman!" Niall growled back.

"Betrayal is such an ugly word and in this case it isn't even an apt description. I have never given my loyalty to any besides my Master. Everything that I have ever done was in his service. So I had to play nice with a few witches, one unwittingly led me to the object of our desire. She couldn't help it though. It was in her destiny to befriend your Great-granddaughter."

"You will stay away from my family witch or I shall end you."

"You are over the hill Niall and your time is coming to a close. There are many who oppose you."

"There always have been and yet I am still here."

They circled each other. Niall tried to just POP out but there was some kind of magic that wasn't allowing him to do so. He didn't dare put Amelia down lest Octavia finished her off. So they continued to circle one another.

"Are you trying to POP out?" Octavia asked but it didn't seem as if she was interested in the answer in the least. "When the battle broke out I brought us here until I knew what I was dealing with." She paused but Niall didn't speak so she continued. "If you were to dig about a foot into the walls in any direction once in this cavern you will find large iron deposits...oops."

"I'm going to kill you." Was Niall's only response. He stopped circling now that his back was to the opening that he had entered from.

Octavia smiled beatifically, as if he had just presented her with the world's largest diamond. She held her hand out in front of her where she held a glass ball. She started chanting and Niall took a step back. He wasn't afraid of her, he just needed to be prepared to get to the exit so that he could POP him and Amelia out.

Human magic was nothing to a Fae, let alone a Prince of Fae like him. Even if he couldn't POP out the room because of the iron surround didn't mean that all his magic was gone. He, and all his warriors, wore his protective gear that his company developed for the Fae that lived and/or traveled to the human realm. Between his protective barriers and the distance between the iron deposits and his body, he was very far from defenseless.

As Octavia chanted the glass ball filled with swirls of gray smoke and when it was full it turned black. She smirked as she chanted when she saw Niall take two more steps towards the only entrance to the cavern. Her power flared as she siphoned it into the glass ball.

"You should run fairy." She warned him when her chant was complete.

"I am going to enjoy your death bitch."

Octavia laughed abruptly and just as quickly she stopped and threw the glass ball with all her might. Just as she wanted him to Niall shifted Amelia and flicked his wrist to block the orb. As soon as his magic touched the glass orb it exploded in blackness that overcame him. Niall and Amelia were tossed back into the entrance.

Whatever Octavia had put in the orb was eating at his essence and it felt as if he were burning. A whimper came from above his head to see Amelia sprawled out just above him.

"You are mine now fairy." Octavia's voice came from below. He didn't look down to see where it came from but used the last of his strength to reach his arm up so that he could touch Amelia.

It was the most basic of Fae magic; something that children use even before they begin their training. Niall's mind was slipping away but with the last bit of it he thought. _I wish Amelia and I were safe._

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Instinctively Eric ripped open his bond and allowed his shield to explode from within. Sookie's shield was pulled forth by the force of Eric's release but where his golden enclosure surrounded their little family, Sookie's extended to cover everyone in the bar. People were yelling and running in circles as the walls crumbled around them. The bar was in utter chaos.

"You need to let them out." Eric said as he watched the confusion before him.

Sookie nodded her head and allowed people to escape her enclosure when they pushed towards the exits. It was then that the jackhammer sound of multiple guns going off outside echoed into the building. Instantly Sookie solidified her enclosure again so that no one could escape but everyone was caught between a rock and hard place.

"They're shooting at anyone who runs out. I can't let them get killed."

"But you can't keep them inside your enclosure either." Pam said next to her. "The authorities are probably already on the way."

"Think calming thoughts Lover and I will take care of the shooters." Eric said.

"I am with you." London said.

"Me too." Pam said. "The more of us, the quicker we can finish."

"Go already!" Sookie said and in the next moment Eric took hold of his Sheriff and child and broke through the ceiling of _Fangtasia_. The vampires were the only ones keeping their cool in the madness so Sookie called to them. "Glamour everyone to calm down and to forget about seeing me and Eric powered up like this." They all nodded and set about their work.

She remembered what Eric said and began to think calming thought and it seemed to subdue everyone a bit more. The vampires were almost done when Eric spoke in her mind.

_'It's clear Sookie, have the vampires shepherd everyone out. I am coming back in.' _

_'Okay, are Pam and London okay?'_

_'They're fine but I can hear sirens we need everyone out now.'_

"It's clear outside." Sookie said to everyone. "Vampires usher everyone out of the building."

Sookie didn't make a move to leave so her guard stood resolutely by her side. Eric came back in through the same hole he made when he left.

"I don't like how close this was." Eric said.

"Neither do I."

"There's a traitor among us." Noah said. "Where were the guards that are supposed to be watching the building?"

"I agree." Eric said. "We found none of our guard when we dispatched the shooters."

"Who were they?" Sookie asked.

"Fellowship." Eric answered. "We need to die."

"What?" Sookie all but yelled.

"Trust me, I will explain later."

"Eric..."

"No time Sookie!" Eric said. "When the last human passes through your shield, pull it back. Allow the building to fall on us."

"But Eric, I-"

"Now Sookie!" Eric yelled and Sookie pulled her enclosure.

The building toppled in on them. Another series of explosions went off and the floor gave way below them. The crowds outside were scared by the extra explosions and began to run in different directions. Those who looked back saw _Fangtasia_ disappear from existence. The humans were screaming and crying and the vampires didn't know what to think. Could something have happened to their King and Queen? They all saw them both powered up but the building began to crumble and then there were more explosions and now they felt nothing. They didn't feel the lightest touch of the power that their King and Queen always produced. No something was terribly wrong. They didn't feel the power move away signifying that it/they were on the move. The power was there and then it was gone and they began to fear that their Master and Mistress disappeared with it.

The rubble was burning by the time the emergency vehicles came up the entire building and surrounding offices and stores were leveled and on fire. There was blood and bodies everywhere. It was more than any of them have ever seen in all their time on the job. One firefighter summed up the worries of the vampires that stayed behind when he said, "Dear God, no one could have survived that."

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People were being mowed down by guns as Dragxin arrived at _Fangtasia_. He had felt the tremors on the Earth when the explosives went off. Now humans were killing more humans as the latter tried to flee the scene towards safety. He could feel the power of the Angels in the air and he dared not draw attention to himself. He saw a familiar figure had escaped the hail of bullets. He sped his bike and used it to block her path.

She opened her mouth to scream before she saw how was in her path. "Oh my goodness! I'm so glad you're here!" Brandi said excitedly. She stepped closer to him. "The bitch is married to that sex god vampire and they humiliated me! I got kicked out but then the building started falling down. I ran as fast as I could but this is as far as I could get with my hurt leg. That bastard threw me and I hit my knee on the hard ground."

He let her rant because none of what she said mattered. He had been counting on Brandi's old friendship with Sookie to lure her out and the obvious absence of the latter meant only thing. She had failed. Because Brandi had failed her task, Dragxin has failed his task too. The filthy human was absolutely worthless. He couldn't believe he soiled his dick by dipping it in her acidic pussy. With every word that she rambled he wondered if he could find a cleanser strong enough to rid his dick of her essence.

"Baby? Baby are we leaving? I'm gonna need help getting on your bike."

Now she wanted to burn a hole in his bike by bringing it in such close proximity with her acidic pussy. Not. Gonna. Fucking. Happen. Her twat would probably sprout teeth and gnaw on the upholstery. He shook his head no and when she looked at him questioningly he summoned a gun. He fired three shots into her abused body before she even realized anything was wrong. He banished the gun and got off his bike. Dragxin didn't even spare her another look before tossing her body back into the midst of the chaos at the door. No one even realized that Brandi had become an additional casualty when she didn't have to.

An orb of gold sprang suddenly into the night sky and Dragxin knew it was just a matter of time before the Angel in the sky noticed him. He turned to banish his motorcycle now that he didn't need it anymore when the wind changed. The distinct smell of demon was in the air and clearly he wasn't the only one in the neighborhood. He wanted to investigate that fact but he couldn't take the chance of his presence being discovered by the Angel. He needed to lay low as long as possible.

Dragxin was about to leave when the impulse to turn around was much too much to ignore. He turned to find long blond hair and long legs and a body that didn't quit. He drunk the figure in when she turned a second before he disappeared back into the hide out. She was amazing and he knew he should have stolen her away. That beautiful, strong, tempermental, _Pamela_.

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Reverend Steve Newlin watched the organized chaos ensue on the monitors in the back of his SUV. Everything went off perfectly. The only hang up he couldn't understand was why the building didn't crumble under the first barrage of explosions. That had been the plan. In the end he shrugged because it didn't really matter. If the first series of explosions didn't get the job done, then the second series would take care of it.

He was watching intently when one by one the cameras had been cut. Several of the screens went white like a blinding light was in front of them before they went black. Others shook before going black and the last few shook before staring into the nothingness of the night sky.

By the vibrations of the cameras that were left and the booming sound coming through the mics, Steve knew that the second set of bombs went off. It was an unforeseen glitch that the strength of the blasts knocked the mics out. He watched the monitors a moment longer before being satisfied that he wasn't missing anything. He climbed back into the driver's seat with a smile on his face.

Of course he assumed that the soldiers with the cameras and mic's were dead but that was an acceptable loss in his mind. No one was above being sacrificed in this holy war against the undead. He would happily martyr himself for the cause...if there was no other choice and he could guarantee that it would be the end all to the entire war. The cause didn't have the enough leaders with the same willingness of sacrifice that he possessed.

He would be sure to sing the praises of the fallen warriors to his flock. It was no doubt it would inspire more to take up active arms in their battle. Yes, tonight was a great blow to the vampires. He would have to send out a recon team to verify that Northman and his whore were both eradicated. When he confirms his victory over Northman the entire country will praise him and, like his father before him, he will garner the national support to strike fear in the hearts of the vampires and to rally the God-conscious humans to take up arms it this fight.

This is a blow that won't be soon forgotten.

Fin

A/N: Okay this is the end of Assent To Love but not the end of the story. Even though this ending has changed from the one I originally intended, this story was always going to end like this. The sequel to this story will be called Assent To Destiny and I am going to be writing multiple chapters of it before I even start posting it in the hopes of having a more regular posting cycle.

Don't worry I am not going to leave you all hanging for the period in between. There will be one shots that bridge the first story to the second. So be sure to put me on author alert so that you will be able to continue the journey. On the same note I do believe that I have wrapped up all the loose ends, except the ones dealing with Lilith and Dragxin, so if I have overlooked something please let me know so that I can address it.

I also wanted to give out a few thanks. First I want to thank my beta, Susan, who has been with me from almost the beginning. She has given me so many ideas and encouragements and she has become more than just a beta in the process. She's the one that has given me the most distractions while trying to keep me focused (yes I realize how that sounds lol but truth is truth). I really value your friendship Susan. I also value all the hair that you've kept me from pulling out...my hairdresser thanks you too.

I also want to thank my fans who have stuck with me through the forty chapters when I countlessly lost and found myself and the thread of the story over and over. I really only had a general idea of what I wanted when I first started but you all have taught me focus and about planning ahead. Some of your comments have become some of my most favorite scenes in the story.

I want to thank DV8TED. The encouragement you gave me early on, when I was very unsure of my writing, gave me the courage to continue. For that, probably because this is my very first fanfic story, I am so grateful. Thank you for giving me the support that all new writers need to keep going. It may have just been kind and constructive words but it meant quite a bit to me.

SouthernLady23 you are absolutely the craziest, most down, most outrageous friend that I have made on this site so far. Thank you for pushing me to do a few one shots I would have never agreed to do without your pushing. Thanks for all the conversations and watching my back. You're a great friend.

MamaV thanks for holding it down for me through all the long breaks. I always looked forward to reading your thoughts.

Last but certainly not least JDCOKE. I want to thank you also for your continued support. I am sorry that our talks fell off so drastically and I know that it was mainly my fault. I just want to let you know that I took all your advice and well wishing and support truly to heart. I am grateful to have come across someone like you.

Everyone, my thanks cannot be big enough to express what you all mean to me. I've always been a reader and now you've given me the courage to share my imagination with the world. I never imagined I could have gotten so many reviews. I was surprised when my first ten came in and now we are almost at 900. To be so close to 1000 makes me think that it's some kind of mistake. I mean there can't be that many reviews for this story...right? This is truly a blessing. And because I cannot say it nearly enough to everyone who has come across, alerted, favorited, or just spread the word... Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

So one last time for Assent To Love, please review review review. Now I will shut up and get back to work on Assent To Destiny.


	41. Chapter 41

Okay so I always said that I would never create an A/N instead of a chapter but my beta insisted that I do. So this is for all of you who have discovered my story and want to continue on. In just a bit I will be posting a one shot called Hiding In Plain Sight. I will add an A/N to each one shot to setup for the next until its time for the Assent to Destiny to post. Please don't worry there won't be 100 one shots lol.

Anyway please rememeber to add me to Author Alert so that you can get these updates automatically. To everyone who as already signed up of Author alert, thank you and please excuse this A/N.

Thanks,

Mrs. Northman


	42. Chapter 42

Hello everyone! I know I know, "where the hell have I been". To be honest with you all, I've been focusing on an original piece. I kind of burned myself out on Assent To Love and I just had to let it go. So, I took up other projects. I am happy to announce to those of you who haven't competely written me off that I will now continue the story I promised to finish. The one shot How Do You Talk To An Angel will be posted soon and then the sequel to Assent To Love, Assent To Destiny, will begin. I will take a little bit to polish off those pieces before I start posting again.

I just want to remind everyone that this whole thing started off as a writing experiment to help me become better. Your constructive criticism has given me the confidence to create a completely new world. I cannot wait to share some of my other projects with you but first thing is first. Right now getting Assent To Destiny is my primary goal and I must say that it feels good to be back in the world I created for ff. So for now I will say goodbye because I will be seeing you all very soon. Wish me luck!


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